SIOUX FALLS, SD — A Sioux Falls woman has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison for her role in a drug conspiracy that moved methamphetamine through the Sioux Falls area. Kourtney Lang, 33, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier imposed the sentence on July 27, 2026, after Lang pleaded guilty earlier this year. Prosecutors said she helped distribute methamphetamine and collect drug debts for the conspiracy.
How the case worked
According to court records, Lang was part of the Matthew Shade drug trafficking organization. Prosecutors said the group obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl in Arizona and moved the drugs into South Dakota for distribution.
Investigators believe Lang helped distribute the methamphetamine once it reached South Dakota. They also said she was involved in collecting debts tied to the drug sales. Officials estimated her role touched more than eight pounds of methamphetamine over the course of the conspiracy.
What investigators found
The federal case was built by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Lang was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026. She has been ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on Aug. 17, 2026.
Part of wider crackdown
Lang’s sentence was one of several federal drug sentencings announced in South Dakota as prosecutors described a broader effort against trafficking networks tied to out-of-state suppliers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the cases involve methamphetamine and fentanyl moving into the state through multiple routes and distribution chains.
Officials said the investigation relied on coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement. The Lang case is one piece of that larger effort, which prosecutors said has led to multiple convictions and long prison terms across several related drug organizations.
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