Sioux Falls man arrested for ties to meth trafficking operation, court documents say

A 51-year-old man has been indicted for selling more than a pound of methamphetamine in Sioux Falls, according to court documents released this week.

Edward Lyvelle Ward, from Sioux Falls, was arrested and put into the Minnehaha County Jail on Sept. 13. Ward was charged with possession and distribution of a large amount of meth, along with maintaining a place where the drugs could be kept and sold, according to court documents.

The charges stem from three separate occasions where Ward sold meth to a "confidential informant," according to the court documents.

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From May 3 to May 26, Ward arranged drug purchases with the informant at a home, in the 800 block of West 33rd Street in Sioux Falls, according to affidavit documents. The purchases amounted to 118.3 grams, 161.7 grams and 316.4 grams of meth.

Ward was deemed to be a flight risk, according to bond findings. He has a cash bond of $250,000.

The investigation into Ward started from as early as February. Court documents reveal an investigation was being conducted into a drug trafficking organization that included Ward, and a source had informed detectives Ward was being sourced by someone in California.

His jury trial is set for Jan. 3, 2023.