Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 24, 2026.

Lorenzo Rene Portillo, 37, was sentenced to 13 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Portillo was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 5, 2026.

Portillo was a member of a conspiracy distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine in Sioux Falls between September 2024 and February 2025. He also obtained methamphetamine from co-conspirators to distribute to others who would then sell it. He was arrested on February 10, 2025, when law enforcement officers conducted a search of a residence where he was temporarily staying and discovered a handgun. Portillo is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon his multiple felony convictions.

"Collaborating with all levels of law enforcement, our dedicated federal prosecutors and their teams are working overtime to do everything possible to protect our communities from the deadly combination of career criminals, drugs, and guns," said U.S. Attorney Parsons. "The conviction of this repeat felon and the long prison sentence he will serve represent another step forward toward accomplishing that mission. It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from; if you are selling illegal drugs in South Dakota, we are coming for you and this is your fate."

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). 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.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

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