Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Pierre, South Dakota man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for drug-related offenses. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte sentenced Scott Reiners, aged 37, on July 14, 2025, following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Reiners received a sentence of 12 years and four months in federal prison. Following his release, he will be subject to five years of supervised release and must pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund as well as a $1,000 fine.
The charges against Reiners were based on activities from September 2022 to April 2023. During this period, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in central South Dakota, including within the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations. He was involved in distributing between five kilograms and fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine and was present during a traffic stop where law enforcement seized 254 grams of nearly pure methamphetamine and a handgun. Due to three prior felony convictions, Reiners is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges handled the prosecution.
Reiners has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
