Tyler Schmidt, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, South Dakota 2025
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
RAPID CITY - U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced Tyler Schmidt, 31, to 27 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rapid City area.
The sentencing took place on October 1, 2025.
Schmidt was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025.
According to court documents, Schmidt and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rapid City area between October 2021 and November 2024. Schmidt would travel to other states to purchase multiple pounds of methamphetamine at a time, which he would then transport into South Dakota and sell in Rapid City.
Law enforcement seized over eight pounds of methamphetamine during the investigation. Schmidt was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, in addition to five years of supervised release after his prison term.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), which includes law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard Counter Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Schmidt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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