Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused an Overdose and for Retaliating Against a Witness

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness, victim or informant and aiding and abetting was sentenced on January 28, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Jacob Francis Lottman, age 27, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for the distribution count and 60 months in federal prison for the obstruction count, to be served consecutively, followed by 3 years of supervised release on each count, to be served concurrently.  He was also ordered to pay $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

According to the court documents, Lottman knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, a controlled substance, resulting in the serious bodily injury of a victim in Sioux Falls, who overdosed on the fentanyl sold to him.  The overdose victim was revived by first responders with a dose of Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, which prevented his death.

In addition, following his indictment and arrest on the fentanyl charge, Lottman, along with Reymundo Sauceda and Juan Chavez-Benitez, knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in conduct which caused bodily injury to a witness, with the intent to retaliate against that witness for information given by the witness to law enforcement relating to the commission of a federal offense.  The witness was beaten while also in custody on federal charges.

In connection with the beating, Sauceda was sentenced on December 7, 2019, to 60 months in federal prison and Chavez-Benitez was sentenced on November 4, 2019, to 24 months in federal prison for their involvement.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Haak and Connie Larson prosecuted the cases.

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