Grand Island Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking Crimes

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that William Eugen Packer, 47, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Packer to 151 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 211 months.  There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Packer will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

On April 6, 2021, officers in Norton, Kansas initiated a traffic stop. Packer, a passenger in the vehicle, immediately took off running and dropped a backpack that was found to contain 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine. Co-defendants Amanda Schnoor, who was the driver, and Clint Younger knew Packer was transporting the drugs and identified him as the person who took off running. The methamphetamine was being brought to Nebraska for them to sell and distribute. On October 7, 2021, when Packer was arrested on the federal warrant for the April 6 offense, he was found in possession of three firearms, another 1.6 pounds of methamphetamine, and $16,060 in U.S. currency that was drug proceeds and forfeited to the United States.

Schnoor pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and will be sentenced on June 7, 2023. Clint Younger pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and will be sentenced June 29, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.