Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A South Sioux City, Nebraska man has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Joshua Rysavy, 35, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
According to evidence presented at sentencing, Rysavy was involved in distributing about 8.5 pounds of pills containing fentanyl throughout Iowa and Nebraska from 2022 until June 2023. Law enforcement used an undercover officer to purchase counterfeit oxycodone pills marked “M30” from Rysavy; these pills actually contained fentanyl. After the undercover purchases, officers executed a search warrant at Rysavy’s residence in South Sioux City and found several firearms.
“As a result of this investigation, thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl were removed from the streets of South Sioux City, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei. “No town in America is immune to this deadly substance and the lethal consequences that can come from its use. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with our law enforcement partners in both Nebraska and Iowa who strive to achieve the same goal of removing these deadly threats and keeping our communities safe.”
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Rysavy in Sioux City to 86 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rysavy remains in United States Marshal’s custody awaiting transport to federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, which includes personnel from multiple agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling major criminal organizations using a multi-agency approach led by prosecutors and intelligence professionals. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
