Jannelle Olson, a 47-year-old Sioux Falls resident, was sentenced on July 27 to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Ron Parsons. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Olson will also serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025 and pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026.
The investigation found that Olson’s co-conspirator transported methamphetamine from Omaha to Sioux Falls for redistribution. Olson obtained methamphetamine from her co-conspirator multiple times and arranged customers for him. On July 31, 2025, investigators tracked a phone moving from Omaha to Sioux Falls and apprehended Olson with about two pounds of methamphetamine in her vehicle; an additional two pounds were found in her co-conspirator’s vehicle. Investigators determined that Olson was responsible for distributing approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to use Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime perpetrators. The initiative incorporates efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs.
The case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations; Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted it. Olson was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota is the chief federal law enforcement office covering the entire district; it handles federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases while supporting initiatives that improve public safety and quality of life across South Dakota, according to the official website.