Nickolas Povsha Gets 8 Years for Meth, Firearm Crimes

Missoula, MT — A 24-year-old man at the center of a federal drug and firearms operation has been locked up for eight years. Nickolas William Povsha admitted to selling methamphetamine, MDMA, and marijuana seeds while stockpiling weapons tied directly to his drug trade — a setup law enforcement calls textbook for a violent drug enterprise.

Povsha, of Missoula, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme confirmed the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, which includes eight years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Court records reveal Povsha sold MDMA to a confidential informant twice — once in April 2018, again in May. The transactions triggered a deeper investigation that led to the interception of two packages addressed to him in July 2018. Inside one: over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Inside the other: a shipment of marijuana seeds. A third package, searched later, contained Xanax pills.

In August 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Povsha’s Missoula residence. They found multiple firearms, ammunition, additional drugs, a digital scale, and other drug distribution paraphernalia. Investigators said the weapons were not for protection — they were tools of intimidation and control in a growing drug operation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. The agencies worked in tandem to dismantle what they described as a small but dangerous node in the regional drug pipeline.

The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to combat violent crime. PSN prioritizes taking violent offenders off the streets through targeted enforcement, while integrating local prevention and reentry programs to reduce recidivism. Povsha’s sentence reflects the program’s zero-tolerance approach to armed drug traffickers.