Kourtney Lang, a 33-year-old Sioux Falls resident, was sentenced on July 27 to five years and ten months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier also ordered Lang to serve two years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lang was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026. Prosecutors said she was part of the Matthew Shade drug trafficking organization, which obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl in Arizona before distributing them in South Dakota. According to court documents, co-conspirators transported methamphetamine into South Dakota by mail and car. Lang assisted with distribution and collection of drug debts, with investigators believing she helped distribute more than eight pounds of methamphetamine during her involvement.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative that uses Department of Justice resources “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.” The operation coordinates efforts through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation involved the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and United States Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Lang has been ordered to self-surrender to U.S. Marshals Service custody on August 17.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its district, handling federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases across South Dakota while supporting initiatives aimed at improving public safety and quality of life, according to the official website.