When someone thinks of the crime of Drug Trafficking, usually one pictures in their mind drug cartels, drug dealers, or perhaps crossing the U.S. border with illegal drugs. However, in the State of Florida, Drug Trafficking is defined as any person who knowingly sells, purchases, manufactures, delivers, or brings into this state, or who is knowingly in actual or constructive possession of specified amounts of the following drugs: Marijuana, Cocaine , Phencyclidine (PCP), Morphine, Opium, Hydrocodone, Heroin, Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Methaqualone, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), Gamma-hydroxy-butyrate (GHB), Flunitrazepam (Roofies), Methylenedio xymethamphetamine (MDMA), or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD).
Unfortunately, the State of Florida is currently experiencing a prescription drug epidemic. As a result, the Prescription Drug Trafficker is the doctor, lawyer, housewife, or businessman that was injured in an automobile accident or perhaps during a weekend warrior sporting activity. They are then prescribed pain killers over-and-over again by unscrupulous doctors and pill mills until they become so addicted that they are arrested for Prescription Drug Trafficking, Doctor Shopping, or Obtaining a Prescription by Fraud.
Prescription Drug Trafficking sentences in the State of Florida carry minimum mandatory prison sentences as well as fines ranging from $25,000.00 to $500,000.00 depending on the specified drug and amount trafficked. Although the law as written treats the doctor, lawyer, housewife, or businessman the same as the drug dealer or drug kingpin; the prosecutor has the discretion to review the facts of each case and to address each case on individual basis. Therefore, early intervention by your attorney is critical in a Prescription Drug Trafficking case. Your attorney may be able to raise defenses or bring mitigating facts to the attention of the prosecutor which may greatly impact whether you are actually formally charged with a Prescription Drug Trafficking charge or perhaps some lesser charge.
Contact the Law Office of Joseph Montrone, Jr. for a free consultation to discuss your Prescription Drug Trafficking case.
