Grand Island man receives over 17 years in prison

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- A Grand Island man was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison following his firearm and drug conviction.

U.S. Attorney Steven Russell said 47-year-old William Packer, of Grand Island, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha on Wednesday. He was convicted for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Packer will serve 151 months in prison for the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months in prison for the firearm charge, a total sentence of 211 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Packer will serve a five-year term of supervised release.

According to court documents, officers in Norton, Kansas did a traffic stop on April 6, 2021. Packer was a passenger in the vehicle and ran off.  He dropped a backpack that was had 4.5 pounds of meth inside. Co-defendants Amanda Schnoor, the driver, and Clint Younger knew Packer had the drugs and identified him as the person who ran off.

Officials said the meth was being brought to Nebraska for them to sell and distribute. Packer was arrested for a federal warrant for the April 6 offense on Oct. 7, 2021. Officers found three firearms, another 1.6 pounds of meth, and $16,060 in U.S. currency that was drug proceeds and forfeited to the United States.

Authorities said 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.