Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Pine Ridge woman has been sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that affected both Pine Ridge and Rapid City. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence to Kealey Twiss, 32, on September 19, 2025.
Twiss received a sentence of 19 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court records, Twiss was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 on charges related to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. She pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025.
The investigation found that Twiss played a leading role in distributing large quantities of methamphetamine within Pine Ridge and Rapid City. Authorities said she set prices, organized distribution operations, and traveled across state lines to obtain methamphetamine for further distribution in South Dakota. At sentencing, Judge Schreier commented on the harm caused by methamphetamine use in the Pine Ridge community: "Judge Schreier denounced the terrible impact methamphetamine has on the Pine Ridge community."
Multiple agencies participated in investigating this case, including the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Twiss was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
