Pickens Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 300 Months

Greenville, South Carolina ---  Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that Bruce Allen Howland, 58, of Easley, South Carolina, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating federal drug distribution laws. 

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing showed that on February 28, 2019, in Pickens County, two confidential sources under the supervision of law enforcement placed recorded calls to Howland and arranged a meet at his trailer.  On the call, Howland told the confidential sources that he was “good,” meaning that he had drugs available to be purchased.  The confidential sources were searched and equipped with recording devices before going to Howland’s property. They purchased two grams of methamphetamine using funds provided by law enforcement.  They left the trailer, turned over the drugs to law enforcement, and were searched again. 

Based on this controlled purchase, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and executed it.  Howland was in the trailer and refused to open the door, and thus forced entry was made.  Investigators seized three pounds of crystal meth and one pound of liquid meth. Howland had a lengthy history of drug distribution dating back to 1992.

The case was investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.  Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., sentenced Howland to 300 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the Government.  

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