Being accused of a serious drug crime can have lasting consequences. Florida is known as a hub for many federal drug trafficking operations. One man, a former police officer, recently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 months in prison for online drug-related crimes.
Apparently, the man is only one in a group of seven who were similarly charged. Their alleged drug sales occurred through an online pharmacy. Authorities claim that more than 700,000 Hydrocodone pills were sold, as well as close to half a million Phentermines and at least 300,000 Xanax pills. The man’s attorney requested that the judge reconsider the lengthy prison sentence recently pronounced against his client.
Federal authorities say that all except one person involved in the online drug sales situation have have entered guilty pleas. The former police officer was ordered to forfeit more than $88,000. However, there were reportedly other charges against the same man which have since been dismissed.
If any person in Florida should become the subject of a federal drug trafficking investigation, it is advisable to seek immediate legal representation from an attorney who has experience handling high profile situations. It is sometimes possible to avoid incarceration altogether and/or have specific charges reduced or dropped entirely. An attorney would certainly have ideas about how to maximize one’s chances of achieving a jail-free outcome in court. Even if that does not seem likely in a particular situation, a defendant can typically benefit from acting alongside an experienced criminal lawyer when facing serious drug charges that carry severe penalties if convicted.
Source: sun-sentinel.com, “South Florida man involved with online pharmacy sentenced to prison“, Stephen Hobbs, May 23, 2016
