SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A significant drug and firearms operation peddling poison across South Dakota has begun to crumble with the sentencing of three key players. Federal Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down stiff penalties this month to those involved in a conspiracy that flooded the state with methamphetamine, fentanyl, and illegal weaponry.
The heaviest sentence went to Antoine Ray Thomas, 39, of San Francisco, California, who received 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The ATF investigation revealed Thomas was a key source, supplying the operation from California with drugs originating in Mexico.
Tyrin Thomas, Jr., 28, of Sioux Falls, wasn’t far behind, receiving a 27-year federal prison sentence, also followed by five years of supervised release. He was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine and ordered to pay a $100 assessment. The length of the sentence speaks to his central role in the distribution network within South Dakota.
Lyric Christina Simon Tschetter, 26, also of Sioux Falls, received a 12-year and two-month federal prison sentence, plus five years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment after being convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 400 grams of Fentanyl. The sheer volume of fentanyl involved underscores the deadly nature of this operation and the risk to public health. Investigators seized hundreds of fentanyl pills, alongside the methamphetamine and firearms.
Federal authorities revealed the conspiracy involved roughly fifty pounds of methamphetamine, hundreds of fentanyl pills, and several firearms and ammunition. While these three have been sentenced, the investigation isn’t over. Stevie Thomas remains indicted on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or more of Fentanyl and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, with a trial scheduled for May of 2024.
The case was a collaborative effort led by the FBI, ATF, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Ebert and Mark Hodges prosecuted the case, which falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement and community partnerships. All three sentenced defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Related Federal Cases
- Laurens Maas, Meth Conspiracy, South Dakota 2023 · Alabama
- Clarence Williams, Fentanyl Meth Conspiracy, South Dakota 2025 · California
- Laurens Maas, Meth Conspiracy, South Dakota 2023 · California
- Jamaul Carter, Meth Conspiracy, South Dakota 2023 · California
- Julia Precious Ballansaw, Meth Money Laundering, South Dakota 2024 · Alabama
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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