Rushmore State News

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Belle Fourche man has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentencing was conducted by District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler on July 14, 2025.

Turner Heinbaugh, aged 35, received a sentence of 12 years and seven months in federal prison. He will also undergo three years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Heinbaugh was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024 and pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025. The laundered money originated from a methamphetamine operation in the Black Hills. Heinbaugh collaborated with others to collect drug proceeds, which were then sent through electronic payments to co-conspirators in the United States and Mexico. Investigators estimate he transferred approximately $98,000 in drug proceeds through financial institutions and participated in selling methamphetamine during his involvement.

The case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a federal program established to combat transnational organized crime and reduce illicit narcotics availability using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach. OCDETF utilizes resources from various partners for concentrated investigations into organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.

Investigations were carried out by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), and the Drug Enforcement Administration. UNET includes law enforcement from several agencies including Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

Heinbaugh was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.