Box Elder Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Western South Dakota

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a woman from Box Elder, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on October 28, 2025.

Jenna Holzer, 41, was sentenced to 30 years, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Holzer was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024.  She pleaded guilty on August 7, 2025.

Holzer joined a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in 2022.  During her involvement, she worked with others to obtain methamphetamine from California, typically through the mail, for redistribution in Western South Dakota.  A United States Postal Inspector identified multiple packages sent from California to addresses known to be associated to Holzer.  On October 16, 2024, investigators performed a traffic stop on Holzer’s vehicle. Troopers discovered an ounce of methamphetamine and approximately $3,365 in Holzer’s possession during that stop.  Investigators determined Holzer was involved in trafficking approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine during her involvement in the conspiracy.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), and the Drug Enforcement Administration. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

Holzer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.