A Greenfield man sentenced to eight years in prison for corrupt activity and drug trafficking was among two people sentenced recently in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Charles Howland, 65, was sentenced to four years in prison on one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony, which was ordered to be consecutive to another four years in prison on one count of trafficking in heroin, also a second-degree felony. Howland was also given 44 days of jail-time credit.

Howland was ordered to pay restitution of $360 to the Highland County Task Force.

According to court documents for the first count, on or around Nov. 1, 2022, and continuing through May 1, 2023, Howland and his accomplices recklessly, while being employed by or associated with, directly or indirectly, conducted or participated in the affairs of an enterprise through the pattern of corrupt activity and at least one of those incidents of corrupt behavior was a felony of the fourth- or fifth-degree.

According to court documents for the second count, on or around March 10, 2023, an investigator contacted another investigator and said that they saw Howland and one of his accomplices at a location on Carford Pike as they were leaving in the accomplice’s red Chevrolet truck with an American flag on the back window.

Because the two subjects were involved in “recent” drug transactions, the two investigators decided to follow the vehicle. The truck ended up stopping at a mart in Greenfield and then left northbound on S.R. 41 toward Fayette County. The investigators then contacted detectives in Fayette County and continued to follow the vehicle. The truck stopped at a gas station on S.R. 41 on the edge of Washington C.H.

During that stop, one of the investigators positively identified Howland, who they knew had a felony warrant from the Adult Parole Authority. The truck left the gas station and turned onto U.S. Route 35 going toward Dayton. The investigators continued following the truck and kept up their surveillance on U.S. 35 to Beavercreek where they “lost sight” of it.

One of the investigators contacted an officer and arranged for them to position themselves along U.S. 35 toward Washington C.H. The Fayette County detectives contacted their road officers, arranging for them to stop the vehicle in Fayette County. One of the deputies found the vehicle, which they said was following too closely to the vehicle in front of it, stopping it in Fayette County on U.S. 35.

The driver was identified as one of the accomplices, with Howland identified as the passenger. Another deputy walked a K9 around the vehicle and got a positive alert for drugs. Howland was arrested on his warrant and the accomplice was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia after officers found a metal can inside the truck with residue and two cut plastic straws. Howland also told one of the deputies that he had heroin inside his underwear.

After the deputy couldn’t find it, Howland said it might have fallen down his pant leg. The deputy found a baggie containing the suspected narcotics on the floorboard of their cruiser. The deputy had checked their rear seat and floorboard at the start of their shift and Howland was the only person in the rear of the vehicle, court records state.

According to the sergeant, Howland said he went to Dayton with the accomplice to buy the drugs, with the accomplice giving their assistance by giving money and driving to the location. The substance was sent to BCI for testing and found to contain heroin with a weight of 15.2 grams.

In other sentencings, James Freeman, 71, Hillsboro, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on one count of retaliation, a third-degree felony, and a forfeiture specification. Freeman was given 21 days of jail-time credit.

According to court documents for both counts, on or around July 17, 2023, the Highland County Sheriff’s Office received information that Freeman was growing marijuana on his property on Wizard of Oz Way in Paint Township. The office was given photos of Freeman that looked to be Freeman tending the plants along a “privacy fence.”

After they conducted surveillance of the property from the roadway, law enforcement saw marijuana plants growing along the fence behind the residence. Three sergeants and a deputy stopped at the residence in order to make contact with Freeman. As the officers approached the front door, “an overwhelming odor of marijuana was detected” from inside the residence.

Law enforcement was unable to make contact with Freeman and applied for and obtained a search warrant for the property. The Highland County Sheriff’s Office executed the search warrant. Fourteen marijuana plants were found growing outside the residence and two indoor grow operations with 48 marijuana plants.

A loaded Ruger pistol and an unknown white powder were also found inside the residence in a room Freeman referred to as “the man cave.” The sergeant spoke to Freeman about the firearm and Freeman said he didn’t tell the officers about it because he hoped it wouldn’t be found.

According to court records, Freeman then said, “If I had terminal cancer and was given six months or something to live, Rocky Coss would be dead.” He then also said “If he turns up dead, you forget I said that.” Coss is the Highland County Common Pleas Court judge. Freeman was under disability for previously being convicted of trafficking in marijuana, a third-degree felony, in Highland County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 20, 2005.

The white powder substance found inside the residence was submitted to BCI for analysis and found to contain methamphetamine.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.