NORTHAMPTON — A Leeds man was sentenced to three years in state prison Tuesday, more than nine months after an early morning police raid at a downtown apartment found large amounts of marijuana.
Casey Edward Howard, 32, pleaded guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to manufacturing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cultivation of marijuana and unlawful possession of ammunition. Five other charges that had been brought against him were dismissed as part of the plea. He was represented by attorney David Mintz
Howard was one of two Northampton men who were arrested on Sept. 1, 2017. His roommate, Derek Robert Woofenden, was also arrested and pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court in November 2017 to charges of cultivation/manufacturing of marijuana, possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His case is still ongoing.
As part of an ongoing investigation into the distribution of heroin and oxycodone in the downtown area, Northampton Police in partnership with Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Anti-Crime Task Force and Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team raided the apartment last fall.
In the apartment, police found various rounds of ammunition of differing calibers, bags of marijuana, 21 marijuana plants and a glass tube with green residue near a butane can and a lighter — which led to the manufacturing charge, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci said in court.
Howard was charged as a subsequent offender on the drug charges because of a 2013 conviction for possession of a class B drug with intent to distribute, Bucci said.
Adopting the joint sentencing recommendation, Judge John Agostini sentenced Howard to 3 years in state prison on the manufacturing charge, 2½ years in jail on the cultivation charge and 2 years in jail on the unlawful possession charge. All are to be served concurrent with one another.
Howard will receive credit for 307 days already served.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.