Arizona, Sioux Falls Men Receive Lengthy Federal Sentences for Fentanyl and Money Laundering Conspiracy

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - A Sioux Falls man and an Arizona man have been handed significant prison terms after being convicted of a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and commit money laundering. The sentencing took place on December 1, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier, as announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons.

Fame Cobbs, 40, of Sioux Falls, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. This term includes a concurrent 18-month sentence for a separate conviction of Assault on a Federal Officer.

Mario Taylor, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Both defendants were also ordered to pay special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Trafficking Operation and Money Movement

A federal grand jury handed down the drug conspiracy indictment in December 2023. Cobbs pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, and Taylor pleaded guilty on September 8, 2025.

During the conspiracy, Taylor, identified as the source of supply in Arizona, arranged for thousands of fentanyl pills to be mailed in packages from Arizona to Cobbs and co-conspirators in the Sioux Falls area.

Cobbs and his associates then distributed the fentanyl pills locally. Investigators identified approximately 18 packages in historical records, estimating that each contained between 2,000 and 4,000 fentanyl pills. Investigators believe a total of roughly 35,000 fentanyl pills were trafficked during the operation.

The money laundering aspect of the case involved Cobbs collecting drug proceeds from various individuals and sending the funds back to Taylor in Arizona. Both Cobbs and Taylor utilized the electronic payment system Cash App to facilitate the movement of these proceeds related to the sale and distribution of fentanyl.

In addition to the drug and money laundering charges, Cobbs was also indicted and convicted for Assault on a Federal Officer after an incident while he was in federal custody. While confined at the Minnehaha County Jail, Cobbs engaged in assaultive behavior, including struggling with and kicking an officer during an incident where he flooded his cell.

U.S. Attorney Parsons commented on the severity of the sentences, stating, “Fentanyl traffickers are merchants of death who knowingly flood our communities with substances so lethal that two milligrams—less than a few grains of salt—can kill.” He added, “If you traffic fentanyl in South Dakota, you will end up behind bars for a long time.”

Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the cases.

Cobbs and Taylor were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.