A Mexican national has been sentenced to over 22 years in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier delivered the sentence to Reynaldo Garcia-Gonzalez, aged 42, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Garcia-Gonzalez received a sentence of 22 years and five months, followed by five years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case against Garcia-Gonzalez began with an indictment by a federal grand jury in July 2023. He entered a guilty plea on December 9, 2024.
The conspiracy spanned from April to November 2022, during which Garcia-Gonzalez transported significant amounts of methamphetamine from California to Western South Dakota. These drugs were then distributed further by co-conspirators in the region. His role involved handling and distributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET includes personnel from several law enforcement agencies: Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges led the prosecution.
Following his sentencing, Garcia-Gonzalez was placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.