The Belle Isle Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are committed to fighting drug crimes and are not afraid of charging violators. Drug crimes in Central Florida grow from simple possession, to intent to distribute, to trafficking, and if you are arrested for trafficking, the most serious felony, you can face state and federal charges, years behind bars, and fines. The less recognized personal penalties may include your family’s personal anguish, the loss of any firearms you own, and a hard time getting housing, a job, or a loan if convicted. Our reliable drug defense attorneys want to help you. Before your world spirals out of control after an arrest, call a Belle Isle drug trafficking lawyer who will take charge for the best outcome in your situation.
Illegal possession of a controlled substance is a base drug charge that means you are carrying a drug without permission or legal justification. The prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you knowingly possessed the drug or had control over the place of access to the drug. This commonly occurs when, for instance, you and a roommate live together at an apartment where your roommate has stashed drugs.
Prosecutors often raise the stakes if they find you control a larger amount of drugs than is normal for personal use. Along with possession, you can be charged with intent to distribute. The evidence that can be used for this crime includes carrying a large amount of cash, packaging material is discovered in your home, or client lists found on your cell phone.
The quantity and type of controlled substance determine whether law enforcement charges you with trafficking and what your penalty might be. Trafficking is a felony and involves knowingly selling, purchasing, delivering to buyers, manufacturing, or transporting across Florida state lines specific amounts of controlled substances.
You can be charged with trafficking for moving illicit drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine. But you can also be charged for trafficking prescription drugs, such as painkillers like oxycodone, and sleep inducers such as benzodiazepines, if they are not prescribed for you; or if you doctor shop, amass the pills, and distribute them.
The Controlled Substance Act (CSA) defines drugs by categorizing them into five schedules, with Schedule I being the most dangerous, with no valuable medical use in the U.S. and highly addictive to users. Schedule V drugs, the least dangerous, have the lowest potential for abuse and addiction and have accepted use in medical treatments. When Schedule V drugs are abused, they can lead to limited physical or psychological dependence compared to Schedules I through IV.
Two common drugs that are widely trafficked included cocaine and hydrocodone. Here is what will happen if you are charged with trafficking cocaine:
Trafficking in hydrocodone can bring penalties as steep as 25 years behind bars and a fine of up to $750,000 if 400 grams but less than 30 kilograms are involved.
Although medical marijuana is legal in Florida with restrictions, recreational marijuana is not, and if you are caught with more than 25 pounds or at least 300 marijuana plants, you will be charged with a first-degree felony. You can appreciate the gravity of a trafficking charge in Belle Isle and how it can wreck your life. Our criminal defense attorneys will fight to have your charges reduced, negotiate a plea deal, or offer the best defense for your circumstances to get you freed by a jury.
The prosecutor in your case will use evidence gathered by law enforcement and try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty of drug trafficking. Our attorneys refute the prosecutor every step of the way.
A defense can include that evidence is obtained illegally by officer mistakes, you were mistaken for someone else, or you did not have actual possession of drugs and constructive possession may mean your housemate is the culprit. You have a lot to lose; family, freedom, and finances. A Belle Isle drug trafficking lawyer has your back so you can put the worst behind you.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
