The 29 year old owner of a Pierre smoke shop has pleaded guilty to one felony count of Possession of a Controlled Substance and one misdemeanor count of Possession of a Substance for Purpose of Intoxication. Bristol Nielsen from Fort Pierre was arrested in September 2025 as part of a statewide law enforcement sting of the sale of illegal products within their businesses.
He entered his guilty pleas Tuesday in Hughes County Circuit Court. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in the state prison on the felony charge and one year in the Hughes County Jail on the misdemeanor charge. He’ll be sentenced at 2 p.m. April 21.
Nielsen was owner of Masterpiece Smoke Shop in Pierre. He’s one of five owners statewide facing various charges after undercover officers conducted controlled buys of products statewide between June 11 and June 13, 2025.
The South Dakota Attorney General’s office is prosecuting the cases.