Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted David Fowler, age 49, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on June 4, 2025.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine, up to life on supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
David Fowler was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.
In March and April 2024, investigators with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Fowler, in amounts ranging from 10-21 grams. Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Fowler’s home, where 56 grams of methamphetamine were located. Fowler’s supplier was also arrested en route to his residence with an additional 344 grams of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed the methamphetamine was being mailed from California to a local source in Aberdeen, where it was then sold to sub-distributors, including Fowler. In total, Fowler purchased five packages of methamphetamine, totaling 2.5 pounds.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing will take place on September 8, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.