Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Yankton, South Dakota man for distributing a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury. The sentencing occurred on July 7, 2025.
Matthew Williams, 33, received a sentence of 22 years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Williams faced indictment by a federal grand jury in November 2023 and entered a guilty plea on April 2, 2025.
The conviction is related to an incident from March 17, 2022. Williams distributed a fentanyl-laced pill to one of his customers who then overdosed after ingestion. Emergency services were summoned and administered Narcan, which saved the victim's life.
The Sioux Falls Police Department conducted the investigation into this case. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb handled the prosecution.
Following his sentencing, Williams was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
