United States Attorney James R. Dedrick Eastern District of Tennessee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, April 20, 2009
GUILTY PLEA OF ROBERT EDWARD HOWLAND
[GREENEVILLE, TN] -Robert Edward Howland, 37, of Thurston County, Washington pled guilty Monday, April 20, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville, to traveling in interstate commerce without registering as a sex offender. Sentencing has been set for August 31, 2009, at 9:00 a.m., in United States District Court in Greeneville.
Howland faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, lifetime supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Howland, a native of Olympia, Washington, was convicted of one count of rape and two counts of kidnaping in 1995. His two victims were minors. He was released from the Washington State Penitentiary on January 17, 2009 and ordered to report to his community-based supervision officer on January 20, 2009. Despite being advised of his travel restrictions and the fact that Tennessee authorities had denied his request to supervise him after conviction on the Washington charges, Howland immediately traveled to Bluff City in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Howland did not register with authorities in Washington or Tennessee.
Howland was arrested on March 27, 2009, incident to a criminal complaint presented by the United States Marshals Service and has remained in federal custody since his arrest. He pled guilty to a one-count information and waived indictment. This information was the result of an ongoing investigation by the United States Marshals Service and the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force, the Thurston County, Washington Prosecuting Attorney, and the Washington Department of Corrections. Helen Smith, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States.
James R. “Russ” Dedrick, United States Attorney noted that “These facts underscore the value of the Adam Walsh Act. Mr. Howland intentionally fled the State of Washington to avoid two years of community-based supervision in Washington, despite being told that Tennessee authorities were not willing to supervise him. Local authorities in Washington State and the Marshals Service leveraged resources and promptly removed a dangerous individual from our community.”
For additional information, please contact United States Attorney Russ Dedrick, 865-545-4167, Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Smith, 423-823-5020, or Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard, 865-545-4167.