⏱ 2 min read
A ruthless drug kingpin is off the streets after a massive federal bust in the Sioux Falls area. Matthew Shade, 48, of Tea, South Dakota, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine.
According to investigators, Shade led a notorious crew that obtained the deadly substances from Arizona and peddled them throughout South Dakota. The operation used both the US Mail and cross-country car trips to move the drugs.
A pivotal break in the case came in December 2024, when law enforcement seized a parcel containing over four pounds of methamphetamine. Further investigation led to the discovery of two parcels sent from Sioux Falls to Arizona, containing a combined total of approximately $26,000.
US Attorney Ron Parsons praised the dedicated officers on the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their role in the investigation and prosecution. Parsons hailed the sentence as a lifeline for the community, saying it would have saved lives.
Related Federal Cases
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- Victor James Long, Sr., Methamphetamine Distribution, Arizona 2019 · South Dakota
- Robert Lee, Fentanyl Trafficking, South Dakota 2022 · Oklahoma
- Fowzi Abdinasir Elmi, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Minnesota 2020 · Oklahoma
- Andrew Walsh, Methamphetamine Distribution, Arizona 2021 · Alabama
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: Methamphetamine
- Location: SD
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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