Jury Convicts Wise County Man of Trafficking Methamphetamine From Atlanta Into Southwest Virginia
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Wise County man this week of trafficking methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Daniel Rowland, 46, had been trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from a source in Atlanta, Georgia, to southwest Virginia for further distribution. Rowland was arrested in possession of over two pounds of methamphetamine, $32,500 in U.S. currency, and a loaded 9mm pistol. Rowland had been wiring money from the Food City in Wise, Virginia, directly to Mexico to pay for methamphetamine he purchased in Atlanta.
A federal jury convicted Rowland of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia into Wise and Lee counties; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; money laundering; use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug crime; and two counts of distributing methamphetamine to confidential informants.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force and Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case.
