Sisseton Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Fentanyl and Failure to Appear

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on June 1, 2026.

Laycie Williams, age 29, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and four years in federal prison for Failure to Appear, with the sentences to be served consecutively for a total of 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Williams was also ordered to pay $3,968 in restitution and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance stemmed from an incident that occurred in February 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In the early morning hours of February 26, 2023, Williams and the victim were socializing at a residence in Aberdeen. Co-defendant Carlin Mellette arrived at the residence and provided Williams with three pills containing fentanyl. Williams shared the pills with the victim, who ingested only half of one pill, resulting in the fentanyl overdose death of the victim. Williams and Mellette were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. Williams pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024.

Following her guilty plea, Williams was released on bond pending sentencing. On May 19, 2025, Williams failed to appear for her scheduled sentencing hearing. Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025 for Failure to Appear. She pleaded guilty to that offense on November 3, 2025.

Mellette pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, and he was sentenced in May 2025 to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

"This is another tragic demonstration of the deadly and horrific nature of illicit fentanyl," said U.S. Attorney Parsons. "The heartbreaking reality is that many of its victims never intended to take it at all. The victim here took only half the intended dose in one of these illegal pills, manufactured to look like a prescription opioid, and that was the end of her life. One mistake, one counterfeit pill, one irreversible moment can bring death and destruction to any family, in any of our communities, at any time. I can promise you that this Administration and every level of law enforcement across South Dakota are doing everything possible to dismantle the drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations bringing these poisons into our country."

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 FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, the Campbell County Sheriff's Office, the Corson County Sheriff's Office, the Potter County Sheriff's Office, the Gettysburg Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

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