A man from Tea, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on March 2, 2026.
Sean Blanchfill, age 48, received the prison term along with five years of supervised release and a fine. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blanchfill was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty later that year on November 25. According to court documents, he participated in an organization that acquired methamphetamine from Arizona and distributed it in Sioux Falls and surrounding areas. Investigators found that Blanchfill personally sold more than eight pounds of methamphetamine. The group as a whole trafficked over 100 pounds of the drug.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons commented on the outcome: “Our law enforcement partners are working around the clock in Sioux Falls and communities across South Dakota to stamp out methamphetamine and other illegal drugs and put the dealers of these toxic substances behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “With their hard work, and our southern border as secure as it has ever been, progress is becoming evident, as the crime numbers just released by the Sioux Falls Police Department have shown. State, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement are united in this mission. And this substantial federal prison sentence is one more link in the chain.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
After sentencing, Blanchfill was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
