PUNCHY: Federal Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down a seven-year sentence to Heath Choal, 51, from Reliance, South Dakota, for his role in a massive methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
Choal was sentenced on September 15, 2025, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing marks the conclusion of a case that began unraveling in June 2023 and stretched into September 2024.
The defendant, who sourced his meth from co-defendants Misty and Heather Stahlhoefer, was one of several individuals involved in distributing between 30 and 35 pounds of the drug within the Pierre area. The conspiracy involved a network of distributors including Whitney Marrowbone, Wendy Mealer, Brent Larvie, and David Rinehart.
Misty Stahlhoefer received a 21-year sentence, Heather Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 18 years, Marrowbone got 11 years, Mealer six years, Larvie four years and six months, and Rinehart two years. The FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, along with local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted.
Choal faces an additional three years of supervised release following his prison term and has been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The defendant was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service after the sentencing hearing.
Related Federal Cases
- Eagle Butte Meth Dealer & Escapee Gets 25 Months · South Dakota
- Sioux Center Meth Dealer Lopez-Granillo Gets 6+ Years · Minnesota
- Pine Ridge Meth Dealer Schrader Gets 5 Years · South Dakota
- Eagle Butte Man Smokey Jandreau Copped to Meth Deals, Gun Possession · South Dakota
- Kenel Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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