Contact Person: Jay Richardson (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ? United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced today that Joseph Shawn Chasteen (26) and Cody Dean Howard (20) were sentenced for their involvement in a heroin conspiracy to distribute more than three-and-a-half pounds of heroin. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Chasteen to ten years in federal prison and Howard to nine years.
In February 2014, a joint investigation by ATF, SLED, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office led officers to a residence in Indian Land that was suspected to be involved in a heroin distribution conspiracy. The investigation revealed that persons involved in the conspiracy had obtained a large quantity of heroin in Charlotte and intended to distribute the heroin in Lancaster County. After days of surveillance, officers thwarted the conspiracy after only a small quantity of the heroin was distributed, arresting Chasteen and Howard in possession of more than 3 ½ pounds of heroin along with a sawed-off shotgun.
The case was investigated as part of the ongoing cooperation between the Lancaster County Sheriff, SLED and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to remove violent drug dealers from the streets of Lancaster County. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay N. Richardson. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
