Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Sioux Falls man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for distributing a controlled substance that resulted in death. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and took place on January 27, 2025, presided over by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Johnny Allen Neighbors, aged 25, will serve the prison term followed by four years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Neighbors faced indictment by a federal grand jury in June 2023 and pleaded guilty on October 4, 2024. His conviction relates to an incident on January 21, 2023, where he distributed a fentanyl-laced pill to an adult woman who subsequently died from ingesting it. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance.
“This is yet another example of the lethal nature of fentanyl,” stated Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. She emphasized the importance of educating people about the dangers of fentanyl due to its potentially fatal effects even in small doses.
The investigation was conducted by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges leading the prosecution.
Following his sentencing, Neighbors was placed under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
