SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Detroit, Michigan man and a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2023.
Vernon Lee Mason, Jr., 31, and his co-conspirator, Demetrius Jackson, 42, were both sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. They were both also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Mason, Jr. and Jackson were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in March of 2022. Mason, Jr. pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023, and Jackson pleaded guilty on November 8, 2022.
On November 19, 2021, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Jackson and Mason, Jr. were traveling. They searched the vehicle and found approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine, which the two intended to distribute to others. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for Jackson’s residence and found an additional 755.5 grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Mason was also captured on a wire intercept discussing drug transactions with a local drug dealer from Trent, South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Mason, Jr. and Jackson were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after their sentencings.