LI Man Who Possessed Enough Drugs To 'Kill Hundreds Of Thousands Of People' Sentenced: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A parolee was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he intended to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl out of his Medford home, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Thursday.

Nathaniel Howell, 40, possessed enough drugs to "kill hundreds of thousands of people," the DA said. Howell was indicted on a charge of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He faces five years of post-release supervision as part of his sentencing.

"This defendant was brazen enough to continue peddling these poisons while on parole for prior cocaine and illegal weapon offenses," Tierney said in a news release. "Our parole system is clearly broken as it no longer allows parole officers to effectively monitor parolees. However, with this guilty plea and sentence, my office has removed a significant threat from our community, which makes us all safer."

In November, District Attorney’s Fentanyl Task Force investigators found that Howell was selling cocaine and fentanyl out of his Wilson Avenue home, according to court documents.

Police executed a search warrant at the home and recovered a bag containing 1.57 ounces of fentanyl; a bag containing 2.10 ounces of heroin mixed with fentanyl; and a bag containing 3.54 ounces of heroin, as well as over $305K dollars in his bedroom, investigators said.

At the time of this offense, Howell was already on parole for a conviction stemming from a 2020
search warrant executed under similar circumstances at Howell’s Medford home, officials said. That investigation had resulted in the seizure of cocaine, a loaded firearm, and over $50K, authorities said.

Howell has had seven prior felony convictions, the DA said, including:

• A 2004 conviction for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and a felony charge of driving while intoxicated. Howell was sentenced to six months in jail.
• A 2007 conviction for third-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Howell was sentenced to three years in prison.
• A 2009 conviction for third-degree third-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Howell was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
• A 2015 conviction for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Howell was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.
• A 2020 conviction for third-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon. Howell was sentenced to two years in prison.

Howell also has numerous misdemeanor convictions where he served periods of incarceration, the DA said.

Howell pleaded guilty on April 4 to two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, class A felonies. He was represented by Ira Weissman.