Passenger admits meth trafficking, gun crimes after attempted traffic stop led to shooting of Great Falls police officer

GREAT FALLS — A woman passenger today admitted to methamphetamine trafficking and firearm crimes after the driver allegedly shot and wounded a Great Falls police officer during an attempted traffic stop in March, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Nikki Marie Snell, 38, of Harlem, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm as charged in a superseding information. Snell faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug crime and a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearm crime.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 19. Snell was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that in July 2022, the Russell Country Drug Task Force in Great Falls learned that Snell was trafficking meth in the community and either supplied other distributors or distributed it herself. In August 2022, agents twice obtained meth from Snell through another individual.

The government further alleged that on March 7, Great Falls police officers attempted a traffic stop of a car from Billings, but the car fled. Officers did not pursue but looked in the area for the vehicle and its occupants. Officers found the car and saw a man, later identified as the driver, and Snell, the passenger, walking away from it. Snell stopped and complied with the officers, while the driver ran away while carrying a brown purse. An officer chased the driver, who shot the officer numerous times, wounding him. During the pursuit and shooting, the driver dropped the purse. Officers recovered the purse and found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside. The handgun was a different firearm from the one used in the shooting. Snell admitted that the recovered purse was hers and that she knew it contained the handgun. Snell has a prior federal felony conviction for assault and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation 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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