Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA – A Rapid City man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Zachariah Highelk, 35, was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The sentencing took place on March 23, 2026, before District Judge Camela C. Theeler. Highelk pleaded guilty to the charge on December 3, 2025.

Highelk’s crime involved purchasing bulk amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Colorado and Washington between 2019 and 2024, and then distributing the drugs to others in the Rapid City community, including Indian reservations in the state.

‘This was an incredible takedown by South Dakota and federal law enforcement that we believe put a substantial dent in the drug trade,’ said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. ‘For any methamphetamine or fentanyl ingested in western South Dakota over the past several years, there is a decent chance it passed through this drug dealer’s hands at some point.’

Highelk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Highelk’s case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that aims to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Ruben Torres, Heroin and Crack Cocaine Distribution, Connecticut 2023

Mar 30, 2018

Drug Trafficking

Tabatha Drake, Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone, Virginia 2024

Apr 8, 2015

Drug Trafficking

Alvaro Vivero Rendon, Cocaine Trafficking, New York 2017

Sep 14, 2021

Drug Trafficking

Israel Miranda, Cocaine Conspiracy, Florida 2024

Dec 19, 2024