Sioux Falls Man Convicted in Federal Trial of Fentanyl Distribution

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Elizeo Kalimba, age 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a 4-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 24, 2025.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and/or a $10 million dollar fine, up to a lifetime term on supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  There is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl charge and a mandatory minimum of sentence of 5 years for the Possession With Intent to Distribute Fentanyl charge.

Kalimba worked with another individual to obtain thousands of fentanyl pills from Arizona that he then distributed in Sioux Falls.  Members of the Sioux Falls Police department used a confidential informant to conduct two controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Kalimba and then executed a search warrant at his home that led to the discovery of approximately 3,900 pills in his home. Investigators believe that Kalimba was responsible for trafficking over 10,000 fentanyl pills.

Kalimba was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota DCI, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for February 9, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.