Joshua Rysavy, a 35-year-old resident of South Sioux City, Nebraska, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The plea was entered on March 18, 2025, in Sioux City, Iowa.
During the plea hearing, evidence presented indicated that Rysavy and others were involved in a conspiracy from 2022 through June 2023 to distribute over 8.5 pounds of fentanyl across Nebraska and Iowa.
Sentencing for Rysavy will be scheduled after the preparation of a presentence report by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Following his guilty plea, Rysavy was taken into custody by the United States Marshal and will remain detained until sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. Additionally, he may be fined $10 million and will have at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood. The investigation was conducted by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa. This task force includes members from various law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff's Office; South Sioux City Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach led by prosecutors. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.