SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Huron, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on November 7, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jeffrey Pomerico, 27, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Pomerico was indicted for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance by a federal grand jury in December of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 15, 2022.
Beginning on an unknown date and continuing until on or about December 7, 2021, Pomerico reached an agreement to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the District of South Dakota. He voluntarily and intentionally joined the methamphetamine conspiracy sometime around the summer of 2021.
During his involvement, Pomerico personally participated in the handling and distribution of over 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. He had an agreement with a co-conspirator to obtain methamphetamine from him on a regular basis, for redistribution in South Dakota.
On October 27, 2021, Pomerico and another co-conspirator agreed to meet with Christopher Daniels, who is being sentenced for his role in this conspiracy on November 14, 2022, for the purpose of purchasing one pound of methamphetamine. After they purchased the pound of methamphetamine from Mr. Daniels at his home in Trent, South Dakota, law enforcement tried to stop their vehicle and his co-conspirator did not stop for the police. Eventually, they pulled into a cornfield, and threw the pound of methamphetamine out of the window. Pomerico then got out of the vehicle and tried to hide from law enforcement officers. Eventually, the officers found both him and the one pound of methamphetamine in the cornfield.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Pomerico was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.