Mandan man sentenced to five years in federal prison for drugs, weapons charges

MANDAN, N.D. (KFYR) - A U.S. District Judge sentenced a Mandan man to five years in prison for drug and weapons charges, including charges related to explosive devices.

Police arrested Nicholas Lelm, 42, and Shane Smith, 42, in June 2021. Narcotics task force officers claim when they searched the pair’s Mandan residence they found roughly five pounds of methamphetamine, 300 fentanyl pills, mushrooms, THC, other drug-related items and more than thirty weapons, including an object that they say appeared to be a pipe bomb.

Lelm pleaded guilty to charges in federal court. Last week, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor sentenced Lelm to five years in prison and five years of supervised release.

Smith entered a plea agreement. He’ll be sentenced in April.