Hot Springs Man Sentenced to 210 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Hot Springs, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on June 3, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.

Laurens Marcus Maas, age 51, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  He was also ordered to forfeit 21 firearms.

Maas was indicted for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury on November 7, 2017.  He pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 1, 2018.

Maas received methamphetamine from a California supplier of methamphetamine.  The methamphetamine Maas received was later distributed in North Dakota and the Black Hills.  A search warrant was executed at his residence on October 25, 2017.  Law enforcement seized over 6 pounds of methamphetamine, 21 firearms, and ammunition. Additional co-conspirators are pending sentencing and trials in Rapid City.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity.  Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers.  It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

Maas was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.