Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison For Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mountain Lake, Minnesota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on November 10, 2025.

William Soudap Somphanthabansouk, 29, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Somphanthabansouk was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025.  He pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025.

Somphanthabansouk obtained methamphetamine in California through the mail and then distributed it to others in Sioux Falls as well as in Western Minnesota.  In early 2025, investigators discovered that Somphanthabansouk had traveled to California and mailed himself a package from there.  They arranged to have him stopped on the interstate on his way to Sioux Falls and discovered approximately 228 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded pistol in his vehicle.  They then obtained a search warrant for his residence in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, and discovered approximately 850 grams of methamphetamine and multiple firearms.  Altogether, investigators believe that Somphanthabansouk was responsible for distributing approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine in this area.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Worthington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

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

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).