PIERRE, S.D. – A 46-year-old woman from Brandon, South Dakota, has been sentenced for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine into the State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
Melissa Rae Cockerham received a five-year prison sentence, with 3½ years suspended, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Attempt to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
According to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, the incident happened on Nov. 11, 2023, when Cockerham tried to throw a package containing more than five grams of meth over the prison wall. The package failed to clear the barrier and was recovered by staff.
“Attempts to smuggle illegal drugs into our prisons is a serious crime that endangers staff, inmates, and the public,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “We are committed to protecting prison facilities and the people who work and reside there.”
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. It was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
The sentencing comes amid growing concern about drug use inside South Dakota’s prison system. As reported by Emily’s Hope in May, officials uncovered a drug trafficking operation following a string of overdose deaths in state correctional facilities.
Investigators have identified three common methods used to smuggle drugs into prisons:
- Counterfeit commercial packages concealing drugs;
- Misuse of privileged mail, including fake legal correspondence;
- Deliveries during in-person visitation, often involving friends or family.
So far in 2025, three inmates have died from overdoses while in Department of Corrections custody — one in February and two in May. Just weeks ago, the Attorney General’s Office announced criminal charges against two people in connection with those deaths, as part of an ongoing crackdown on contraband in state prisons.
