Rapid City Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Overdose Death

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.  The sentencing took place on November 24, 2025.

Anthony Sorensen, 37, was sentenced to life in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Sorensen was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in June 2024.  He was found guilty after a three-day jury trial in March 2025.

The indictment stemmed from a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in Rapid City on June 5, 2023.  During the investigation, law enforcement obtained messages between Sorensen and the victim that indicated Sorensen had agreed to sell the victim a fentanyl pill in the early morning hours of June 5, 2023.  Security camera footage from nearby businesses showed the victim arrive at the apartment that Sorensen was living in at the time.  The victim was found unresponsive approximately one block from Sorensen’s home just a few hours after the victim had been seen arriving at Sorensen’s residence. An autopsy later confirmed that the victim consumed a lethal amount of fentanyl.

“So much death, misery, and pain has been caused by fentanyl dealers,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “I am so grateful to our law enforcement partners that this dealer is now out of business for good.”

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is comprised of investigators from the Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the National Guard Counter-Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

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