As part of a plea agreement, the former owner of Masterpiece Smoke Shop in Pierre plead guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor charge Tuesday (March 31, 2026) in Sixth Circuit Court in Winner.
Bristol Nielsen of Fort Pierre asked for a deferred imposition of sentence on the Class 5 felony charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance, namely peyote. The maximum possible penalty is five years in the South Dakota State Men’s Penitentiary, a $10,000 fine or both.
Nielsen also faces a Class 1 misdemeanor charge of Possession of a Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, that also being peyote. The maximum penalty for this charge is one year in the county jail, a $2000 fine or both.
During the court hearing, Nielsen’s attorney said Nielsen had been gifted the peyote plants from a client. The plants were originally at the store location in Pierre, but had then been taken to Nielsen’s home which is outside of Hughes County.
Judge Bobbi Rank accepted Nielsen’s guilty plea on the misdemeanor charge and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Rank set sentencing for April 21, 2026, at 2pm at the Hughes County Courthouse in Pierre. At that time, she will determine if she will accept Nielsen’s guilty plea on the felony and allow the deferred imposition of sentence.
The charges against Nielsen stem from a statewide law enforcement sting conducted by the Attorney General’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation and local law enforcement agencies, conducted in June (June 11-13, 2025), targeting shops suspected of selling illegal THC products. Nielsen was arrested in September (2025).
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