Milbank Man Sentenced to 12 1/2 Years in Meth Conspiracy

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that District Court Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Milbank, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 2, 2023.

Travis Thiele, 41, was sentenced to twelve years and six months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Thiele was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023.

Beginning on an unknown data and continuing until April of 2022, Thiele regularly obtained methamphetamine from a co-conspirator and distributed it to others in Northeastern South Dakota. He is believed to have been involved in the distribution of approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

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