Two women from the Upper Midwest have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Alexis Mertens, 28, of Slayton, Minnesota, received a seven-year prison sentence and three years of supervised release. Brandy Christman, 39, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both were ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The sentences were handed down by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange in U.S. District Court. Mertens was sentenced on September 22, 2025; Christman on September 29, 2025.
According to court documents, both women were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024 for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Mertens pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025; Christman entered her guilty plea on June 11, 2025.
Prosecutors said that between 2023 and December 2024, Christman and Mertens sold methamphetamine within South Dakota. Law enforcement arrested Christman after finding her with 172 grams of methamphetamine.
"This case was investigated by the DEA," according to the press release. "Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case."
Both defendants were immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
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