South Dakota and Arizona Men Collectively Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Conspiracies to Distribute Fentanyl Pills and to Launder Drug Proceeds

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man and a Phoenix, Arizona man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.  The sentencings took place for both defendants on December 1, 2025.

Fame Cobbs, 40, of Sioux Falls was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  In addition to the drug and money laundering convictions, Cobbs was also sentenced in a separate case following a conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer.  In the assault case Cobbs was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.  This sentence is to run concurrent with the drug sentence.

Mario Taylor, 34, of Phoenix was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Each pill they press, each gram they move, is a loaded weapon aimed directly at our children, our neighbors, and our future.”

Cobbs and Taylor were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in December 2023.  Cobbs pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, and Taylor pleaded guilty on September 8, 2025.  Cobbs was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer in September 2024 and pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025.

During the conspiracy Mario Taylor was the source of supply in Arizona of thousands of fentanyl pills.  He arranged for packages containing fentanyl to be mailed from Arizona to Fame Cobbs and others in the Sioux Falls area.  Cobbs and his co-conspirators in Sioux Falls then distributed the fentanyl pills in Sioux Falls.  Investigators identified approximately 18 packages through historical records and learned that each package contained approximately 2,000-4,000 fentanyl pills.   Additionally, Cobbs collected money from various individuals to send back to Taylor in Arizona. Cobbs and Taylor utilized the electronic payment system Cash App to move proceeds related to the sale of fentanyl and to promote their drug distribution.  Investigators believe a total of approximately 35,000 fentanyl pills were trafficked during the conspiracy.

Cobbs’ criminal activity did not stop once he was in arrested.  While in federal custody pending resolution of his case, Cobbs engaged in multiple instances of assaultive behavior while confined at the Minnehaha County jail. During one incident, Cobbs flooded his cell and physically struggled with officers.  During the struggle Cobbs kicked one of the officers.

“Today’s federal sentences reflect a simple truth,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “If you traffic fentanyl in South Dakota, you will end up behind bars for a long time.”

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service.  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.