A woman from San Jacinto, California, Nicole Dorrough, has been sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for her role in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on January 26, 2026.
Dorrough, aged 52, will also serve one year of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 and pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025.
Authorities say Dorrough participated in a large drug trafficking organization that transported significant quantities of methamphetamine from California to Sioux Falls. The group also distributed cocaine and marijuana. According to investigators, Dorrough received proceeds from drug sales via electronic payment methods such as Cash-App or Zelle from co-conspirators based in South Dakota. Substantial amounts of cash were deposited into her bank account during the operation. After receiving these funds, she would transfer them to another co-conspirator in California. This method allowed for quick movement of money between states while concealing the identity of the main co-conspirator involved in the transactions.
Investigators determined that the organization laundered approximately $700,000 through this scheme, with Dorrough personally handling about $200,000 worth of transactions.
“People who launder and move around the dirty money obtained from drug deals are just as culpable as the dealers directly funneling that poison into our neighborhoods and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Dorrough was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
