Three of Four Co-Conspirators Sentenced in Fentanyl, Meth, and Firearms Conspiracy

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three defendants convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Antoine Ray Thomas, 39, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced on February 12, 2024, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Antoine was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.   

Tyrin Thomas, Jr., 28, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced on February 5, 2024, to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Tyrin was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine.

Lyric Christina Simon Tschetter, 26, also of Sioux Falls, was sentenced on February 9, 2024, to 12 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lyric was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 400 grams of Fentanyl.

All three defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. Antoine Ray Thomas pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person on November 8, 2023; Tyrin Thomas, Jr. pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on October 27, 2023; and Lyric Christina Simon Tschetter pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl on November 21, 2023.

A fourth defendant, Stevie Thomas, was indicted in this conspiracy on September 12, 2023, on the charges of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or more of Fentanyl, and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. He is currently set for trial in May of 2024.

These defendants were operating a large methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution organization in South Dakota. Their source was located in California who was supplied by sources in Mexico. This conspiracy involved fifty pounds of methamphetamine, hundreds of pills containing fentanyl, and several firearms and ammunition.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Ebert and Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

All three defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.