Attorney Sentenced To 30 Months In Cocaine Case

Spokane attorney Howard Nichols will spend 30 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Nichols, a former deputy prosecutor, received the sentence for conspiring to sell as much as 110 pounds of cocaine in Washington, California and Idaho since 1990.

He was among three dozen defendants identified and arrested as part of the Operation Doughboy investigation, carried out by the Spokane Regional Drug Task Force and the FBI.

The 41-year-old lawyer had faced 70 to 87 months in prison for his crimes, but that was reduced after he agreed to provide assistance to investigators.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice recommended that Nichols serve 36 months in prison, while defense attorney Maryann Moreno argued for 24 months.

U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle decided on 30 months, and said he would recommend Nichols be allowed to serve the sentence at a federal correctional facility in Sheridan, Ore.

The judge didn’t impose a fine, but placed Nichols on five years of supervision after he gets out of prison.

During that period of “supervised release,” Nichols must undergo drug testing, counseling and submit to random personal searches.

He pleaded guilty in November and testified as a prosecution witness against two other Doughboy defendants who were convicted last month.

Earlier this month, another Doughboy defendant, Julie Polione, 36, of Spokane, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.