A Lennox, South Dakota woman has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Sioux Falls area. Ashley Mortimer, 39, received a sentence of 92 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons after Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the decision on January 26, 2026. Mortimer had been indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024 and pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.
According to court records, Mortimer acted as a sub-distributor for a California-based drug trafficking organization during several months in early 2024. She purchased large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from this group and resold them locally. At sentencing, she was held responsible for distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Officials noted that this prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. According to the statement: “OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.”
Mortimer was immediately remanded into custody following her sentencing.
