Help from a Port St Lucie Drug Trafficking Lawyer
Florida severely punishes people who are convicted of drug offenses. When people are alleged to have engaged in drug trafficking, the penalties upon a conviction will be even more severe. People who are charged with drug trafficking might also face prosecution in federal court, and federal sentences for drug trafficking can involve decades in prison. Here is some information about a recent case in which a 25-year-old man was charged with multiple drug offenses, including trafficking several different types of illegal drugs. Here is some information about this case and potential defenses against drug crimes from Port St Lucie criminal attorney Jeffrey H. Garland, Esq.
Man Arrested for Port St Lucie Drug Trafficking
Law enforcement officers from the Port St. Lucie Police Department recently arrested a 25-year-old man and charged him with 29 different drug charges. Detectives had reportedly conducted a months-long investigation of the man before his arrest. When officers arrested him, they reportedly found numerous drugs organized in different baggies with labels detailing the type of drug, price, and amount on the bags’ exteriors. According to the detectives, they seized all of the following drugs:
- Six baggies of cocaine laced with fentanyl
- Two baggies of MDMA/Ecstasy
- One baggy of psilocybin mushrooms
- 15 baggies of marijuana
- Three tabs of LSD
- 18 marijuana cigarettes/joints
- 21 oxycodone pills
- 6 Adderall pills
The police also seized $3,611 and a 2017 Toyota Tacoma.
The man is facing the following charges:
- Oxycodone trafficking
- LSD trafficking
- Fentanyl trafficking – two counts
- Possession with intent to sell cocaine- three counts
- Cocaine sales – three counts
- Sale of hallucinogens – five counts
- Amphetamine sales
- Possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana
- Possession with intent to sell marijuana
- Illegal use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony – five counts
- Possession of drug equipment – six counts
Florida has mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of drug trafficking that vary based on the type of drug and the amount. When there is a mandatory minimum sentence, this means that the judge cannot order a sentence lower than the minimum. In this man’s case, the sheer number of drug charges means that he is facing the potential of decades in prison if he is convicted as charged. However, it is possible to defend against drug crimes with the help of Port St Lucie criminal attorney Jeffrey Garland.
Defenses to Drug Trafficking Charges
The defenses that might be available in a drug trafficking case will depend on the facts and circumstances. An experienced Port St Lucie criminal attorney at the Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. might assert one or more of the following defenses, depending on the underlying facts:
- No reasonable suspicion for a stop
- Lack of probable cause for an arrest
- Warrantless search and seizure without a valid exception to the 4th Amendment
- Missing links in the chain of custody of the drug evidence
- Missing drugs from the evidence locker
- Errors in the lab analysis
- Misidentification of the drugs
- Entrapment
- Drugs belong to someone else
- Lack of intent to sell (personal use)
- No knowledge of the presence of the drugs
Contact Port St Lucie Drug Trafficking Lawyer Jeffrey H. Garland
If the police have charged you or someone you know with similar offenses, contact The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. at 772.489.2200 to learn about your legal options and rights.