A Sioux Falls man and an Arizona man have been sentenced for their role in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in the District of South Dakota.
Marcus Anthony Durrani, age 21, and Steven Wayne Knecht, age 47, were both convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
The conviction stemmed from an agreement between Durrani and Knecht to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota between an unknown date and approximately May 5, 2019.
Durrani would receive methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in South Dakota and re-distribute it to other co-conspirators for sale to their own customers.
Knecht drove a vehicle containing approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator in Sioux Falls at the direction of others.
Both men were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on May 18, 2020, and August 26, 2020, respectively.
Durrani was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Knecht was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Iowa State Patrol, and the State of Iowa Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Jose Arguello, Fernando Valenzuela, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Rapid City, SD, 2023 · South Dakota
- Alex Lang, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, South Dakota 2025 · South Dakota
- Kayla Jenschke, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Rapid City SD 2026 · South Dakota
- Robert Lee, Fentanyl Trafficking, South Dakota 2022 · South Dakota
- April Villagomez, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, SD 2019 · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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