Flathead County fentanyl, meth trafficker sentenced to more than 10 years in prison

MISSOULA  — A Marion man who admitted to distributing fentanyl pills and methamphetamine in Flathead County was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Roger Ossie Nickerson, 40, pleaded guilty in May to distribution of controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that during an investigation by the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force in June 2022, an undercover agent purchased fentanyl from Nickerson. In addition, law enforcement received information from a source that Nickerson was distributing drugs and that the source had purchased pills and meth from him multiple times.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department 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.

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