Two Sioux Falls Residents Sentenced in Meth Conspiracy

Julia Pewo and Coye Nohava received federal prison terms for distributing methamphetamine as sub-distributors in a South Dakota conspiracy.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Drug Crime

Two Sioux Falls Residents Sentenced in Meth Conspiracy

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Julia Pewo, 63, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, and Coye Nohava, 42, to 14 years, for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in South Dakota. Both were found guilty after a three-day jury trial.

Why it matters

The case shows how federal prosecutors are pursuing mid-level distributors in multi-state drug networks that move methamphetamine from Arizona into South Dakota. Sentences of this length reflect the quantities attributed to each defendant.

Both defendants were sentenced by a federal court after a jury convicted them in a three-day trial that ended Aug. 13, 2026. The record does not indicate whether either defendant plans to appeal the sentence.

The players

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota

The federal prosecutor's office that brought the charges and announced the sentences in this conspiracy case.

Matthew Shade

Identified by prosecutors as the leader of the South Dakota methamphetamine conspiracy, who worked with others in Arizona to source the drug.

The details

A federal grand jury indicted Pewo and Nohava in July 2025 on methamphetamine distribution charges. Prosecutors said Matthew Shade led the South Dakota conspiracy, working with associates in Arizona to obtain meth and transport it to South Dakota by mail or vehicle, while Pewo and Nohava obtained the drug from co-conspirators and distributed it onward. Nohava was also found to have committed perjury while testifying in his own defense at trial.

July 2025: A federal grand jury indicted Julia Pewo and Coye Nohava.
Aug. 13, 2026: A three-day jury trial ended with guilty verdicts.
Nov. 10, 2026: The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the sentences.

Legal Context

The sentences were imposed under federal drug trafficking statutes, which tie prison terms to the quantity of methamphetamine a defendant is held responsible for distributing. In this case, the larger quantity attributed to Pewo, about 13 pounds, corresponds to the longer of the two sentences.

Residents of Sioux Falls and across South Dakota can see from this case how federal drug distribution charges are prosecuted when methamphetamine moves through mail and vehicle networks. The sentences also show that individuals who act as sub-distributors can face long federal prison terms.

The takeaway

Mid-level distributors in drug networks can face federal prison terms of well over a decade when prosecutors tie them to pounds of methamphetamine. Anyone facing federal drug charges should consult an attorney early, since sentences depend heavily on the quantity attributed to each defendant.