SD Woman Gets 10 Years in Meth Mail Ring

SIOUX FALLS, SD – A cross-country drug pipeline has landed a South Dakota woman in federal prison for a decade. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Anita M. Kenyon, 41, of Harrison, South Dakota, to 10 years behind bars on April 15, 2024, for her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was handed down after Kenyon pleaded guilty last July.

The case, brought by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell’s office, revealed a scheme where Kenyon partnered with Deena Lee Rodriguez, 43, of Sacramento, California, to traffic drugs across state lines. Rodriguez, already sentenced on May 25, 2023, to eight years and one month in federal prison, acted as the source, shipping packages of methamphetamine to Kenyon in South Dakota.

Investigators with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service flagged suspicious packages originating from California and destined for Kenyon’s address. A subsequent search uncovered approximately three quarters of a pound of methamphetamine being moved through the mail. The operation, indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022, highlights the continued use of the postal service by drug traffickers despite increased scrutiny.

Both women were ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, a small restitution for the damage caused by their actions. Rodriguez entered a guilty plea on March 14, 2023, setting the stage for Kenyon’s eventual confession. The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation assisted the Postal Inspection Service in building the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges led the prosecution, securing the significant sentences for both defendants. The investigation demonstrates a coordinated effort to dismantle drug networks and hold those responsible accountable. Kenyon and Rodriguez were immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencing hearings.

This case serves as a stark reminder that drug trafficking is not confined by state borders. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant in intercepting illicit shipments and working with local and federal partners to shut down these dangerous operations. The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal prosecutions and expose the underbelly of crime across the nation.”