Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A man from Reliance, South Dakota, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the Pierre area. Heath Choal, 51, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on September 15, 2025. After his prison term, Choal will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Choal was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024 and pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025. The case involved distributing methamphetamine between June 2023 and September 2024. According to authorities, Choal obtained methamphetamine from Misty and Heather Stahlhoefer and helped distribute it with several others in the region.
The investigation found that the group acquired up to one pound of methamphetamine per trip for further distribution among themselves and others including Whitney Marrowbone, Wendy Mealer, Brent Larvie, and David Rinehart. In total, the conspiracy involved between 30 and 35 pounds of methamphetamine.
Several co-defendants have already been sentenced: Misty Stahlhoefer received 21 years; Heather Stahlhoefer received 18 years; Marrowbone was sentenced to 11 years; Mealer received six years; Larvie was given four years and six months; Rinehart was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force led the investigation with support from local law enforcement agencies including the Pierre Police Department, Chamberlain Police Department, and Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
“United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Reliance, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance,” said Ramsdell.
Choal was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
