Those arrested for drug-related crimes in Florida or in other states sometimes secure a reduction of charges or a lesser sentence if convicted by agreeing to offer substantial assistance to authorities. This means that the defendant would aid authorities in their federal drug trafficking investigation or somehow assist in the prosecution of another person. A recent incident occurred where police arrested a man who had allegedly agreed to help federal authorities in another state.
The man was supposedly arrested in 2012 after law enforcement agents claimed to have found substantial amounts of drugs and guns in his pawn shop. He allegedly made deals with authorities to avoid a potentially lengthy prison sentence. Part of this deal also included his being an informant, allowing him to travel throughout the country. The man was reportedly granted permission to travel to the East Coast to help his aging mother, and he was supposed to return to a detention center in his home state to surrender afterwards.
Authorities claim the man never appeared at his scheduled appointment. Representatives from the Honolulu detention center say they were having a difficult time locating him. Fort Lauderdale authorities arrested him, but he was released due to his use of an alias. Later, he was arrested again by deputy U.S. Marshals.
Obviously, someone being held in a Florida jail on suspicion of federal drug trafficking or avoiding incarceration in another state will want to prepare a strong defense against the charges. A defendant may increase chances of obtaining a positive outcome by retaining the assistance of an experienced attorney who has handled other high profile situations. Such an attorney would understand that a person’s future reputation may be at stake and would exhaust all possible options to overcome any legal obstacles that may arise during court proceedings.
Source: hawaiinewsnow.com, “EXCLUSIVE: One of Hawaii’s most wanted arrested in Florida“, Lynn Kawano, March 28, 2016
