A Minneapolis man ran from officers and claimed to be overdosing as law enforcement discovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and multiple firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun and a pistol with an obliterated serial number, during a search of his home in early April, according to charges.
Onzie George Snowden, 46, faces nine felony charges: first-degree drug possession for more than 25 grams of fentanyl, five counts of prohibited firearm or ammunition possession due to a prior violent crime conviction, possession of a short-barrel shotgun, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number and fifth-degree drug possession.
According to the complaint, officers with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on the 2200 block of 17th Avenue South in Minneapolis on April 10, 2026. After knocking and announcing their presence with no response, officers entered the home and found Snowden in the kitchen. Snowden did not comply with commands to show his hands and repeatedly ducked behind cabinets before running to the lower level.
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Officers located Snowden in the basement and took him into custody. Snowden told officers he had ingested narcotics and was experiencing an overdose, so he was transported to HCMC for medical evaluation. An adult woman and a child were found upstairs. Officers learned from the woman that Snowden lived in the lower-level bedroom and that only Snowden, the woman and her child resided in the home.
Inside the residence, officers recovered a tan pistol with an obliterated serial number under a mattress at the base of the stairs, a black pistol in a bedroom TV stand, a large amount of white powder in a toilet, a bag of crystalline substance near the toilet, a bag of suspected controlled substance at the base of the stairs, a sawed-off shotgun in the bedroom, a purple pistol in the kitchen sink and another pistol on a dining room shelf.
Testing later confirmed the white powder and one bag contained fentanyl weighing 33.65 grams and 35.78 grams, respectively and the crystalline substance was 2.79 grams of methamphetamine.
Officers obtained a warrant for Snowden’s DNA and swabbed the recovered firearms. DNA analysis showed Snowden was the major contributor to profiles from two of the pistols. The complaint states Snowden has a prior conviction for aiding or abetting second-degree aggravated robbery, which prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition under state law.
The charges were filed Friday, July 10, in Hennepin County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s weapons offenses include § 624.713 (felon in possession of a firearm, five-year mandatory minimum for a prior crime of violence), § 609.66 (dangerous weapons, including drive-by shooting at § 609.66 subd. 1e) and § 609.165 (firearm restoration after a felony). Discharge of a firearm within a municipality is charged under § 609.66 subd. 1a.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
