Source: Office of United States Attorneys
GREAT FALLS – A Spokane, Washington man accused of possessing controlled substances admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Nicholas Benton Severns, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Severns faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years to 40 years, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for November 12, 2025. Severns was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2023, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services saw a white Chevy Malibu leave a known drug house in Browning and stopped it for speeding. The officer ran the driver through dispatch and determined he had no driver’s license, no insurance, and had a warrant for his arrest from Washington. Nicholas Severns, the passenger in the vehicle, and had an expired license.
As the traffic stop progressed, two other officers arrived and informed the driver and Severns they were going to run drug canine around the car. During a subsequent routine pat down for weapons, law enforcement saw a piece of foil used for smoking narcotics and arrested the driver and Severns. Both were searched incident and officers found a baggie of meth on the driver and burnt blue fentanyl on Severns. The car was sniffed, the canine indicated, and a state search warrant was obtained. During the search, law enforcement located 708 fentanyl pills in a fanny-pack belonging to Severns. During a subsequent interview, Severns admitted to dealing drugs, including dealing fentanyl in Browning.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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