Denver Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Large-Scale Drug Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City Area and within the Pine Ridge Reservation

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Denver, Colorado, woman, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2025.

Shelina Martinez, 34, was sentenced to five 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.

Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. She pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025.

Between January 2022 and February 2024, Martinez was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota, including in the Rapid City area and within the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy, large quantities of methamphetamine were transported from Denver, Colorado, to South Dakota, and Martinez assisted on occasion with the transportation of those drugs.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Wyoming State Highway Patrol, and the North Metro Denver Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

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