Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A woman from Prairie Village, Kansas, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for her role in a drug distribution conspiracy involving methamphetamine and fentanyl in South Dakota. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and handed down by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on September 29, 2025.
Amanda Acosta, age 43, received the prison sentence along with five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Acosta was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025.
According to court documents, Acosta became involved with a California-based drug trafficking organization operating out of Sioux Falls in July 2024. She served as a sub-distributor, purchasing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and selling them in Sioux Falls and other parts of South Dakota. Additionally, she allowed shipments of fentanyl pills to be sent directly to her residence through the mail. Her involvement ended when she was arrested in September 2024.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to the statement issued by authorities. "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone."
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Acosta was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
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