South St. Paul man pleads guilty to fentanyl possession in trafficking case

A South St. Paul felon has pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Nicholas Neil Nikiforakis, 34, pleaded guilty to the charge on June 23 in U.S. District Court before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.

His plea agreement and court documents state that on Dec. 4, 2022, Nikiforakis posted a picture on Facebook showing him with a black gun with a tan-colored extended magazine.

Law enforcement was able to find Nikiforakis’s location and conducted physical surveillance.

When authorities saw Nikiforakis get into a black Ford Explorer, they attempted a traffic stop but Nikiforakis rammed into a squad car and drove away quickly, prosecutors say.

According to court records, Nikiforakis eventually crashed as he turned at high speed, hit a fire hydrant, and collided with a nearby building. He then ran away but was arrested at the scene.

Officers searched the Explorer and found a black and dark green privately made “ghost gun” – with a tan-colored extended magazine in the center console. They also found a large black bag with fentanyl pills, marijuana and a digital scale.

A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.