SIOUX FALLS, SD – A Flandreau man will spend the next two decades behind bars after being sentenced for his role in a fentanyl distribution scheme that ended in a deadly overdose. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the 20-year sentence to Jeremy James Simon, 27, on June 17, 2024, followed by four years of supervised release. A $100 assessment was also ordered to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Simon was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022 and ultimately pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to the charge of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The case centers around an incident on September 23, 2021, when Simon knowingly provided fentanyl to an individual who subsequently smoked the drug and died. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, continues to fuel the opioid crisis and claim lives across the nation.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Simon is the second individual to receive a lengthy federal prison sentence in connection with this death. Rundial Biliu, 27, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was previously sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in April 2023 after being convicted of selling the fentanyl pills to Simon that were ultimately responsible for the overdose. The supply chain of death is a grim reality, and both men are now paying the price.
According to court documents, Simon intentionally distributed the fentanyl, demonstrating a reckless disregard for human life. The investigation, led by the FBI and the Flandreau Santee Tribal Police, painstakingly pieced together the events leading up to the fatal overdose, proving Simon’s direct involvement in providing the lethal substance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges successfully prosecuted the case, securing the lengthy sentence.
The sentencing of Simon underscores the federal government’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting those who profit from the distribution of dangerous narcotics. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has made it clear that those who peddle poison and contribute to the opioid epidemic will face the full force of the law. This case serves as a stark warning: dealing fentanyl can, and often does, result in death – and a long prison sentence.
Following the sentencing, Jeremy James Simon was immediately taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his 20-year sentence. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities attempt to dismantle the larger network responsible for flooding South Dakota with deadly fentanyl.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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