CALIFORNIA MAN INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES FOR TRANSPORTING OVER 200 POUNDS OF METH
STURGIS, S.D. – A 42-year-old man from Fresno, California has been indicted on two felony counts after he was arrested Friday night transporting 207 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in Sturgis. Attorney General Marty Jackley says case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office and the Meade County State’s Attorney’s.
“Meth of any amount is dangerous, but distribution of meth with a street value of $12 million would have led to grave consequences for our citizens,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I appreciate the excellent work of the South Dakota Highway Patrol in stopping and arresting this defendant.”
Alonso Molinacorona, who is a Mexican national, was indicted by a Meade County Grand Jury of one count of Possession of Methamphetamine, of more than five grams, with Intent to Distribute, and one alternate count of Unauthorized Possession of a Controlled Drug or Substance. The first count is a Class Three Felony that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine. The alternate count is a Class Five Felony which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Molinacorona was stopped by a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper for speeding on Interstate 90 in Sturgis. The drugs were discovered in the vehicle.
Molinacorona made his first appearance in Meade County Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for 4 p.m. MDT on Sept. 10, 2025. The defendant is being held without bond. He is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.
Assisting agencies include the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Meade County Sheriff’s Office, and Rapid City Police Department.
Jackley expects federal charges to be filed as well.
SNAP BENEFITS URGED TO CHANGE PIN NUMBER, PROTECT BENEFITS IN MIDST OF THEFT
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Department of Social Services is asking SNAP recipients to safeguard themselves against theft by changing their SNAP personal identification numbers (PIN) immediately.
A recent discovery revealed that more than 350 SNAP beneficiaries in the Sioux Falls area had their benefits stolen. Data shows that a skimming device appears to have been placed at a at local retailer,
Walmart Supercenter on East Arrowwood Parkway in Sioux Falls. A similar mechanism was discovered to have been placed at Dollar General stores in Sioux Falls. The device allowed another party to gain access to individuals’ SNAP account numbers and PIN numbers. The transactions were then processed out-of-state using the stolen information.
DSS has since taken measures to limit out of state transactions. The EBT vendor is working with local retailers to regularly inspect terminals to make sure the physical skimming devices have not been added.
Retailers should regularly check their machines for skimming devices. SNAP recipients are urged to take several precautions to protect their benefits from misuse:
- Change your PIN often. Choose a PIN that no one else will know or could easily guess.
- Stay up to date. Review transactions, deposit history, and manage card settings regularly.
From the eptEDGE Mobile app, users can:
- Block online and out-of-state transactions. You can stop your card from being used online or in other states by adjusting your settings in the EBT App or Cardholder Portal.
- Freeze their card. Freeze your card until you are ready to use your benefit. This will lock all card activity so no one else can use it.
- Sign up for alerts. Get text or email notifications for benefit deposits, PIN changes, card status, and more by registering through the FIS ebtEDGE app or portal. Individuals who feel they have had benefits stolen should report the theft to law enforcement.
More information can be found at dss.sd.gov or by calling your local DSS office.
STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY TRAFFIC PICKED UP THIS YEAR
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Department of Transportation tallied the traffic into Sturgis during the 85th rally, noting an increase of 11.3 percent over the last five-year average.
Traffic was up every day of the rally, from Aug. 1-10, with Monday, Aug. 4, showing the largest increase – 19 percent. Sunday, Aug. 3, was still above average but just by 2.4 percent.
For the 10-day rally, DOT counted 537,459 vehicles entering Sturgis. The previous five-year average (2020-2024) is 482,987 vehicles. This, however, doesn’t reveal how many people attended the rally.
DOT had counters in nine locations for vehicles entering Sturgis. Those counts will be added to traffic counts across the Black Hills area to compile a more comprehensive traffic report that will be on the DOT website sometime next week.
Here is a breakdown of traffic by day:
Friday, Aug. 1: 56,000 vehicles, up 8.2 percent
Saturday, Aug. 2: 62,500 vehicles, up 12.5 percent
Sunday, Aug. 3: 60,495 vehicles, up 2.4 percent
Monday, Aug. 4: 68,906 vehicles, up 19 percent
Tuesday, Aug. 5: 63,863 vehicles, up 13.1 percent
Wednesday, Aug. 6: 59,414 vehicles, up 9.7 percent
Thursday, Aug. 7: 54,697 vehicles, up 11.1 percent
Friday, Aug. 8: 50,672 vehicles, up 13.3 percent
Saturday, Aug. 9: 38,158 vehicles, up 13.6 percent
Sunday, Aug. 10: 22,754 vehicles, up 10.9 percent
