Department of Justice

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on August 8, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Michael Anthony Williams, age 35, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2018. He pled guilty on May 8, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning on an unknown date and continuing through November 6, 2018, when Williams, along with at least one other person, knowingly reached an agreement to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota. Methamphetamine is a Scheduled II controlled substance.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash prosecuted the case.

Williams was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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