Box Elder Woman Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 30, 2026.

Lindsey Fitzgerald, 37, was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Fitzgerald was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. She pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025.

Between October 2021 and November 2024, Fitzgerald and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rapid City, South Dakota, area. The trafficking organization routinely traveled to other states to purchase multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine destined for South Dakota. Fitzgerald made multiple trips out of state with a co-conspirator in order to transport large quantities of methamphetamine into South Dakota. Once here, Fitzgerald both personally and with a network of sub-distributors orchestrated the sale of at least 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside the state. Law enforcement seized over eight pounds of methamphetamine during the investigation.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, the Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Fitzgerald was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.