MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — A Rapid City man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in western South Dakota, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.
U.S. District Judge Camela T. Theeler sentenced Martin Ramirez, 45, on Nov. 10, 2026. His prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Ramirez in July 2025 on a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty Sept. 1, 2026.
According to the release, Ramirez began connecting with individuals in western South Dakota in 2022 to distribute methamphetamine. He was responsible for sending or receiving several pounds of methamphetamine and distributing it to others involved in the conspiracy.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
The narcotics team includes personnel from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol and South Dakota National Guard.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward C. Tarbay and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case, which was part of the Justice Department’s Operation Take Back America initiative.
Ramirez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.