Rex Leon Burtis, Meth Trafficking Conspiracy, South Dakota 2020

Rex Leon Burtis, a Sioux Falls man, has been sentenced for his role in a massive methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in South Dakota.

Burtis, 57, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance after a federal trial in Sioux Falls on July 30, 2020.

The conviction stems from incidents beginning at an unknown date and continuing until about January 7, 2020, when Burtis and other co-conspirators intentionally conspired and obtained 500 grams or more of methamphetamine through the U.S. Postal Service and resold it to others in the District of South Dakota.

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance, and the charges against Burtis carry severe penalties.

On October 26, 2020, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Burtis to 144 months in federal custody, followed by 5 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 Division of Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux Falls Drug Task Force, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case, and Burtis was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

This is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of methamphetamine trafficking in South Dakota communities.

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