A Spearfish woman has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy operating across western South Dakota.
Sindy Richards, 35, received the sentence on Monday in federal court. She was indicted in November 2024 and later pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2025, to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Richards was “a prolific drug dealer” who joined the trafficking operation in 2023. Investigators said she worked with co‑conspirators to purchase methamphetamine from California and have it shipped into the region for distribution in the Black Hills.
Federal prosecutors reported that Richards was involved in trafficking approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine, assisting the primary supplier in coordinating meetings with other members of the conspiracy in the Rapid City area.
Richards will serve her sentence in federal custody.
