A California man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a drug distribution conspiracy operating in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence to Alonzo Green, 43, of California City, California, on January 5, 2026.
Green pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance after being indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. His sentence includes five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Authorities say Green was part of a drug trafficking group based in California that began operations in Sioux Falls during the fall of 2023. The organization transported large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California, using short-term rental properties as distribution points around Sioux Falls. Green reportedly coordinated multiple shipments through the mail and helped drive drugs from California to South Dakota.
He was arrested on September 17, 2024, when he and a co-conspirator were stopped by the South Dakota Highway Patrol near Hot Springs. DEA agents obtained a search warrant and found over 4,900 grams of methamphetamine and 925 grams of powder fentanyl in his vehicle.
“This was a tremendous arrest resulting in an appropriate prison sentence that has significantly disrupted the activities of this California-based drug trafficking organization in South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Impressive work all around by these dedicated law enforcement officers.”
The investigation involved several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Green was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
