Piedmont man sentenced to 6+ years in federal prison on drug charge

U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Piedmont, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Sammy Stabber, 55, was sentenced to six years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Stabber was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024.

The case originated from a traffic stop in Rapid City in August of 2023. Stabber, the passenger in the car, fled the traffic stop. When he was apprehended, officers learned he had absconded from parole and had been carrying over three ounces of methamphetamine. In sentencing Stabber, District Judge Theeler noted the seriousness of the crime of distribution of methamphetamine and how much danger it causes in the community.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

Stabber was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.