A man from Fall River County, South Dakota, has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Shawn Lant, 40, received a sentence of 12 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The sentencing was handed down by District Judge Karen E. Schreier on January 2, 2026.
Lant was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023 and pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025. According to authorities, he participated in a large-scale methamphetamine operation that distributed drugs in Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Reservation. Investigators determined that Lant was responsible for distributing between five and fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine as part of this network. Colorado-based codefendants supplied significant amounts of the drug for distribution within South Dakota.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons stated: “As long as these drug dealers continue to bring methamphetamine and other poisons into our communities, we will continue to do everything we can to track, investigate, arrest, and indict these criminals. I’m grateful for the collective efforts of all our Safe Trails task force officers and law enforcement partners across the state in helping to keep our communities safe.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
After sentencing, Lant was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
