South Dakota Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Acquire Controlled Substances

Kenneth Hurd, 32, from Harrisburg, South Dakota, pled guilty in federal court on September 5, 2023, to Conspiracy to Acquire Controlled Substances by Fraud.

At the plea hearing, Hurd admitted that he knowingly conspired with co-defendant, Douglas Kelley, to obtain and acquire fentanyl by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.  They used Douglas Kelley’s position as a nurse at MercyOne Hospital in Sioux City to obtain fentanyl and other controlled substances for personal use.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Hurd remains free on bond pending sentencing.  Hurd faces, not more than 4 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and up to 1 year of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig Hamit and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Inspections & Appeals, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Sioux City Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-CR-4022.

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