SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.
Shawn Willis, 35, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Willis was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 23, 2026.
Sioux Falls Police Department officers encountered Willis after he was found passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle. Officers eventually searched the vehicle and found approximately 350 grams of methamphetamine and a pistol. Investigators discovered that Willis was part of a methamphetamine distribution organization that obtained methamphetamine from Omaha and California and then distributed it in Sioux Falls. Investigators determined that Willis was responsible for distributing over two pounds of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Willis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — South Dakota — U.S. Department of Justice press release.