Tea, South Dakota Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tea, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026.

Sean Blanchfill, 48, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Blanchfill was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025.

Blanchfill was part of an organization that obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and then distributed it in and around Sioux Falls. Blanchfill's role in the group was to distribute methamphetamine and investigators determined he was responsible for personally selling over eight pounds of it. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked by the organization was over 100 pounds.

"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."

This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

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