Pierre Man Indicted On Controlled Substance Charges

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Near a School and Distribution of a Controlled Substance Near a School.

Juan Howell, age 29, was indicted on December 10, 2013.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 20, 2013, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $500,000 fine, 4 years of supervised release, and $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that in 2012, Howell conspired to and did distribute marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance, within 1,000 feet of an elementary school. 

The charges are merely an accusation and Howell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.   

Howell was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.