drug crimes

Record Number of Illegal Immigrant Deportations

Andrew Stine — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:10:03 GMT

Immigration is a tricky subject. If you are an immigrant, legal or illegal, and you are accused of a serious crime, you could be facing potential deportation. Regardless of your legal status you need to contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately. This is the only chance you have at staying in this country. The law does not take immigration lightly and while there is momentum in changing immigration legislation, for now, being an illegal or even legal immigrant can be a precarious thing.

Possible Immigrants Land on Shore

There are so many stories about the coast guard catching speed boats racing towards our shores carrying loads of people entering our country illegally. Recently, nine people were taken into custody late Thursday as a result of a possible immigrant landing on Hutchinson Island, the Martin County Sheriff's Office reported.

Officials are still in the area, looking for up to five more people. At about 10 p.m. Thursday, deputies found six men and three women in the area of MacArthur Boulevard, sheriff's spokeswoman Rhonda Irons said. The men and women appeared to be of Colombian descent, Irons said. They were on foot and no vessel was located, according to WPTV News.

Record Number of Deportations in 2011

According to WPTV News, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director said in a statement late last year saying that 2011 fiscal year produced nearly 400,000 deportations involving immigrants committing serious crimes including both felony and misdemeanor convictions. The agency says that this number is up 89 percent from 2008 and is the largest in history.

Among those deported were more than 1,000 people convicted of homicide. Another 5,800 were sexual offenders, and about 80,000 people convicted of drug crimes or DUI's.

Authorities say two-thirds of those deported either recently crossed the border or had done so repeatedly.

Criminal Defense

If you are an immigrant and you have been accused of a crime, you have a serious chance of being deported back to your country. Even being found in the U.S. again after your deportation is a felony. Contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately after your arrest as he is your only hope at staying in the country.

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Is the Rate of Home Invasions and Robberies on an Incline?

Andrew Stine — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:41:31 GMT

Despite recent good news about the gradual decline in the rate of robberies and home invasions, the rate for the first quarter of this year has law enforcement on edge. Law enforcement has recently been boasting about an improved response rate to robberies, better technology and resources, and an all around better crime rate. However, it seems that things are actually getting worse, despite all of the new and improved efforts of law enforcement.

Home Invasion

A home invasion robbery is much different than a burglary. For instance, home invasion is considered the act of illegally entering (or breaking and entering) a private and occupied dwelling with violent intent for the purpose of committing a crime against the occupants such as robbery or assault. Burglary is simply illegally entering a dwelling with the intent of stealing property.

Home Invasions on the Rise

Home invasions are generally one of the most violent types of crimes. This is because they usually involve the perpetrator brandishing some type of deadly weapon. However, victims targeted at random are usually rare. The perpetrator usually has a purpose behind invading a home - and that purpose is usually knowledge of accessible cash or drugs.

According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, authorities reported 2,018 robberies in Palm Beach County in 2010, 649 fewer than in 2009. And while in 2011 there were still fewer robberies - only 1,881 - the decrease was just 137. Also, although the number of arrests for home invasions in Palm Beach County has been declining over the past three years, arrests in the first quarter of this year are ahead of the same period last year.

According to the Post, Lt. Michael Wingate, head of the robbery unit at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, said robberies are down overall because of better policing, including faster responses. And home invasions often have something to do with drugs, he said. He said many of the cases the sheriff's office works include people who have drugs - particularly prescription pills - excess cash or weapons around their house, making them susceptible to robbers.

Criminal Defense

If you have been accused of robbery, you could be looking at a serious felony charge if a deadly weapon was involved. It is imperative that you call a criminal defense lawyer immediately after your arrest.

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Pill Mill Kingpin Ordered to Pay Victim's Family Millions

Andrew Stine — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:35:31 GMT

Jeff George, often discussed in previous posts as a kingpin of pill mills, has finally been ordered to pay financial restitution to the family of 24-year-old Joey Bartolucci who died from overdosing on narcotics in 2009, supplied by the pill mills operated by the George brothers. Pill mills are pain clinics that often prescribed powerful narcotics like Oxycodone without discretion. These operations are under extreme scrutiny and heavy investigation because of the rising number of Oxycodone related overdose deaths. It is simply just too easy for addicts and drug dealers to get their hands on powerful prescription drugs.

Jeff George Ordered to Pay Millions

According to an article in WPTV News, Jeff George of Wellington, Fla., admitted to killing Joey Bartolucci nine months ago, by giving him access to massive quantities of powerful narcotics. Now, he has been ordered to pay the Bartolucci family $5.3 million.

The jury verdict for Bartolucci's mother, Gina, and his sister, Jennifer Moyles, came after a one-sided trial that lasted less than a day. An attorney representing Bartolucci's family detailed for jurors how George's callous actions led to the aspiring paramedic's 2009 overdose death. George was not in the courtroom and did not hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent him.

Like nearly a half-dozen others who pleaded guilty in connection with one of the biggest pill mill operations in the country, George last week turned himself in to a federal prison. Last Friday, he began serving a 15 1/2-year sentence after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to racketeering conspiracy for operating pill mills in Palm Beach County and Broward County.

Criminal Defense

If you have ever been charged with possession or trafficking a serious narcotic like Oxycodone, you are going to have a difficult time with the court process. Not only are you facing serious felony charges (depending on the amount in question), but there are always residual charges as well. A criminal defense lawyer can help you understand everything happening in court and will represent you professionally and knowledgeably.

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Marijuana Grow House Found in St. Lucie Home

Andrew Stine — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:21:21 GMT

Marijuana grow houses are becoming extremely popular in the state of Florida. Marijuana grow houses can be anything from garages, to abandoned trailers, to old houses and sheds. These structures are fortified to facilitate the growth of Marijuana and preparation for sale and distribution. If you have been charged with growing Marijuana, you may face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of three years and a felony criminal record.

Marijuana Grow House in St. Lucie County

A 54-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office investigators found about 200 marijuana plants at a "grow house" in northern St. Lucie County, according to an article in WPTV News. David Paul Sullivan was arrested on felony charges including cultivation of marijuana and trafficking in marijuana, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia after sheriff's investigators searched a home.

According to the article, Sullivan admitted he'd been growing marijuana for about three years, saying the entire pot farming operation was his. Sheriff's officials stated about 2 pounds of harvested marijuana were recovered, and the plants weighed about 23 pounds. Some plants were 3 to 4 feet tall while others were smaller.

Sullivan said he began growing pot when he injured his back and that he sells marijuana to pay bills.

The North Boulevard home's three bedrooms were re-modeled to farm pot, according to the Sheriff's Office. Special lighting hung over the plants, and reflective material covered the walls to intensify the lighting effects. Fans blew carbon dioxide gas over the plants, and filtered water was pumped into the plastic containers holding the plants.

Sullivan was held Thursday in the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $83,250 bail, a jail official said.

Marijuana Grow House

If you have ever been charged with operating a marijuana grow house, you will need the specialized assistance from a criminal defense lawyer immediately. This kind of offense is not taken lightly and you will be facing serious consequences so employing the help of a criminal defense lawyer is imperative to your case.

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Another Doctor Arrested for Trafficking Oxycodone

Andrew Stine — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:30:00 GMT

South Florida is known as the pain-pill capital of the country for a reason. With hundreds of pain clinics flourishing throughout St. Lucie County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County, addicts and doctor-shoppers will drive from states as far as Ohio to reap the benefits of pill mills and dispensing doctors. Police who track operations say that even though many pain clinics operate legally, people can often be seen driving from clinic to clinic procuring hundreds of pills at a time. Even though Florida legislation has attempted to regulate the doctor shopping epidemic, doctors continue to supply drug addicts and dealers with pills.

St. Lucie County Oxycodone Trafficking

St. Lucie County police arrested yet another doctor Thursday night on several charges including prescribing practitioner fraud and trafficking oxycodone and hydrocodone, according to an article in WPTV News.

Dr. Greg Hayes, 50, is charged with nine counts of prescribing practitioner fraud, three counts of trafficking oxycodone four to 14 grams, one count of trafficking oxycodone 14-28 grams, four counts of trafficking oxycodone 28 grams or more and one count of trafficking hydrocodone over 28 grams. His wife, Kristen Hayes, 27, is charged with nine counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud, two counts of trafficking oxycodone four to 14 grams, two counts of trafficking oxycodone 14 to 28 grams, four counts of trafficking oxycodone 28 grams or more and one count of trafficking hydrocodone over 28 grams, according to WPTV News.

Bond for the couple is set at $270,000 each.

Why Pill Mills will Never Go Away

Even though the Florida legislation is trying to regulate the process of obtaining prescriptions for oxycodone and other prescription drugs, it will always be an uphill battle because there are so many legitimate patients that need these drugs to alleviate moderate to severe pain. Also, the nature of pain clinics as a proliferating business is hard to track because an individual does not have to be a licensed practitioner (one can even be a convicted felon) to open up a clinic. They can open and shut down very quickly, only to reopen in another location. Several pain clinics have legitimate and legal operations but the illegal, low rent operations are harder to track down and prosecute before they change location.

Oxycodone Trafficking Defense

As you can see with Dr. Hayes, when you are charged with trafficking oxycodone, you are likely to have several counts of the same charge as well as residual charges like fraud. It is imperative that you contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately after being arrested and accused of these charges. Oxycodone is a very serious pain medication and the charges are extremely severe. A criminal defense lawyer will provide you with professional representation to make sure your side of the story is heard in court. With the high correlation of overdose deaths and pain clinics in operation, it is sure to be a long and difficult process if you have been charged with trafficking prescription pills. Make sure you have a criminal defense lawyer on your team.

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Will the Super Bowl Lead to a Spike in Criminal Activity?

Andrew Stine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:39:00 GMT

Experts are saying where the demand is, that's where the supply will be. Leading news reporters and experts on criminal trends are reporting that when large nationwide events occur, a spike in criminal activity is likely to happen. Law enforcement officers are turning their eyes away from Super Bowl XLVI this weekend in order to focus on potential criminal activity, likely to happen wherever large groups of people congregate for this special event.

Super Bowl Leads to Crime in Palm Beach

Dan Corcoran, a reporter for WPTV News Channel 5, wrote in his post yesterday:

"While final preparations are being made ahead of Super Bowl XLVI, law enforcement from Florida and elsewhere is honing in on the potential for a spike in child sex trafficking. The federal government reports that Florida is among the top states where the ugly trade can originate."

Even though human sex trafficking is a serious sex crime that happens all over the country on a daily basis, there is generally a spike in this kind of activity that occurs as a result of the excitement brought on by grand events like the Super Bowl. Federal statistics say that Florida, New York, and California are the top three states for human sex trafficking, among other crimes, according to WPTV News.

South Florida is a Hub for Crime

South Florida is also known to be a major supplier for prescription drug abuse across the East Coast as well as in some states in the Midwest. Pill mills are one of the most pressing drug problems throughout South Florida. People travel all the way from Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania to doctor-shop in the pain pill capital that is Florida. There are over 300 pain clinics in Palm Beach County and Broward County alone.

Although there has been legislation passed to restrict and regulate the pills that are distributed from these clinics, it has been statistically proven that there will be a spike in drug crimes this weekend in South Florida due to Super Bowl excitement, and how cheap and easily accessible these drugs can be.

Criminal Defense

South Florida law enforcement officers are honing in on criminal activity this weekend. If you have been arrested and accused of a crime, you need to contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately. These crimes are extremely serious and have serious consequences that will ensue pending conviction. If you have any questions regarding your arrest, contact Andrew D. Stine for a consultation.

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What is Entrapment?

Andrew Stine — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:20:00 GMT

Many times, a legal defense for the prosecution of a crime includes the definition of entrapment. However, entrapment can be a very difficult defense to use as law enforcement officers are continuously growing more cautious and prepared when planning to catch criminal activity. The only way to be able to use entrapment as a criminal defense is if you have a complete understanding of what it entails and what it means for you.

Entrapment in Federal Court

The legal definition of entrapment is when a person is induced or persuaded by law enforcement officers or their agents to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit; and the law as a matter of policy forbids conviction in such a case.

If a person is willing and able to commit a crime, that person may not use entrapment as a defense. For example, a government agent pretends to be someone else and to offer to engage in an unlawful drug transaction with the person (whether directly or through use of an informant or decoy), that person is willing and able to commit the drug crime. If the government agent induced the possibility of committing a crime without the prior willingness or ability of the defendant, entrapment may be used as a viable criminal defense.

A person can actually be considered not guilty if there is a reasonable doubt whether the person had any intent to commit the crime before the government agent became involved. If the government officer or agent persuaded the person to commit the crime, he or she is not guilty.

Entrapment must include the three following tenants in order to have a not guilty verdict:

The idea for committing the crime must have come from the government agents and not originally from the person accused of the crime.
The government agents must have then persuaded the person into committing the crime (versus just giving him or her the idea to do so).
The person was not ready and willing to commit the crime before the government agent became involved.

In order for the defendant to be guilty when the issue of entrapment is a possibility, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not entrapped by government agents.

Florida Criminal Defense

If you have ever been accused of committing a crime and believe you were entrapped by government agents, you must contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately. A criminal defense lawyer can help you start building a defense strategy that would prevent you from being found guilty, and turn the issue onto the government agents who provoked your situation to occur in the first place.

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What is Happening with the Florida Drug Law?

Andrew Stine — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:30:57 GMT

Fighting a drug charge can be extremely complicated. Now with the new changes in the Florida Drug Law, things may be even more confusing. A criminal defense lawyer is the best person to speak with if you have questions about the drug crime allegations against you. Since Orange County Judge Mary Scriven found the Florida Drug Abuse Prevention and Control law unconstitutional, charging offenders with drug crimes involving intent is becoming a grey area.

Drug Law in Florida

Judge Scriven called the law “atavistic and repugnant to the common law,” after Mackle Vincent Shelton, was convicted on a cocaine offense and sentenced to 18 years in prison even though he was unaware that his friend hid cocaine in his backpack.

The idea behind the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Law is the removal of the intent requirement. Basically, the offender can be convicted of a legitimate drug crime even if they were unaware that they were in possession of the substance.

The law is being aggressively protested and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed briefs against it. WPTV News reported that the case is on a fast track to the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court has set an oral argument for December 6.

According to WPTV News, a Miami appellate court recently upheld the drug law’s constitutionality.

Depending on the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling, the case can have a very significant impact on thousands of drug offenders. Being charged with a drug crime is already a messy process, now mixing in the change in legislature could drag the process on even longer.

Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with drug possession or drug trafficking, you need to contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately. These changes in legislation are going to significantly impact the possibility of a conviction. A criminal defense lawyer is knowledgeable about this situation and can help you devise a strategy for the best possibly outcome.

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How Drug Possession can Result in Child Neglect Charges

Andrew Stine — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:44:49 GMT

More often than not, when a person is accused of committing a crime, there is usually more than one crime in question. Many crimes do not have very significant sentences but what usually lands people in prison for long periods of time is being convicted of multiple crimes at once.

A Port St. Lucie woman learned that difficult lesson Sunday after being charged with both felony drug possession and felony child neglect. While unfortunate, it is common for drug use and child neglect go hand in hand. Many parents that are accused of child neglect or abuse often do so because of other extraneous issues such as drug or alcohol dependency.

Drug Possession and Child Neglect in South Florida

According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, a woman from Port St. Lucie ended up in jail Sunday after a sheriff’s deputies said she hid drugs and used syringes under her baby daughter’s dress to avoid being caught with drugs and drug equipment.

Deanna Marie Angelico, 31, was charged with not only felony child neglect but also with felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug equipment. According to the article and the arrest report, deputies stopped a vehicle she and Michael G. Angelico, 23, were in after witnesses reported seeing two people in the vehicle shooting up drugs.

Angelico stuffed the drugs and used syringes up the baby’s dress to avoid being searched by a female Sheriff’s deputy.

Michael Angelico, of the 800 block of Southeast Starflower Lane, was charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug equipment. He was released Sunday on $5,500 bond; Deanna Angelico was held in lieu of $8,000 bond.

Neither person’s arrest report stated what type of drug was found or the amount. The type of drug usually determines the sentence in these situations.

Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with child neglect because of a substance abuse problem, you need someone to help you. The justice system does not have room for mercy for parents who choose drugs over taking care of their children. Only a criminal defense lawyer will be able to help you now. A criminal defense lawyer has a duty to represent those accused of crimes and also to make sure all relevant evidence is brought into the case.

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How Pain Clinics in South Florida have been Skirting New Laws

Andrew Stine — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:48:58 GMT

A consistent headline in the news is how pain clinics are a growing problem. South Florida is considered to be the hotspot for pain clinics and by proxy, prescription drug trafficking. Doctors at pain clinics have an underhanded reputation for handing out prescriptions like they’re candy for highly addictive drugs like Oxycodone. As law enforcement continues to crack down on drug traffickers disguised as pain clinics, drug traffickers continue to find loopholes around the law.

Pain Clinic Central in South Florida

WPTV News reports that Florida’s drug czar is warning South Florida law enforcement about potential loopholes that pill mills have found. The number of pain clinics trying to establish themselves as pharmacies has surged recently causing law enforcement to start sweating.

While pain clinics do rake in a significant amount of revenue, they are a serious problem in this area. Prescription drugs like Oxycodone and Xanax are high on the list of popular drugs in the drug trafficking scene. Dr. Barbara Krantz of the Hanley Center treats prescription drug addicts. She says in the past two years, there has been a significant increase in the number of addicts, according to WPTV News.

“We’re seeing anywhere from approximately eight deaths per day,” Krantz said.

New Pain Clinic Law

There is a new law banning drugs from being dispensed directly by pain clinics, but clinics are looking for (and have already found) a loophole. The pain clinics start their own pharmacy instead, and put it inside their own pain clinics. The Sun-Sentinel reported that the state approved 800 new pharmacies in the last year.

The state is going to attempt to close this loophole by enforcing stricter regulation in the future. The state will also move to ban pain clinics from being near pharmacies.

Criminal Defense

With the spike in pharmacies, pain clinics, and prescription drug trafficking in South Florida, criminal defense lawyers are going to be busy. Law enforcement is expending a significant amount of their budget to prosecute drug traffickers that hide behind the façade of pain clinics. If you have been accused of prescription drug trafficking in affiliation with a pain clinic, you need the skills and experience of a criminal defense lawyer.

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How are Smoke Shops Reacting to the Bong Bill?

Andrew Stine — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:22:24 GMT

In July of last year, the “bong bill” law was enacted causing serious disturbances among smoke shop owners (also called head shops) all across Florida. The bong bill threatened to close down several smoke shops in Florida as it deemed it illegal for stores to make less than 75 percent of their income from tobacco.

The Bong Bill

After the bill was enacted, several smoke shops everywhere began suing to squash it. Smoke shops everywhere were forced to close because the bill made it a misdemeanor for the shops to make more than 25 percent of their revenue from the sale of bongs, pipes, and any other smoking related items. Around thirty to forty shops joined the cause in acting against the law arguing that the law cannot hold shop owners responsible for the intent of consumers to abuse the products they buy.

Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, is responsible for the bill and is also a recovered crack addict, clean for 13 years. He stated:

“Any police officer, state attorney, or drug counselor can tell you who’s purchasing these pipes and why...the only ones who say they don’t know what’s happening are the store owners.”

Criminal Defense

Criminal defense lawyers across South Florida are preparing for the repercussions of the law. While the offense is only a misdemeanor, repeating offenders may need assistance from a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer. Drug crimes are usually more serious than the inventory in a smoke shop, but in any case, if you have been accused of a drug crime, a criminal defense attorney will help. By conducting an investigation and making sure you are fairly represented with all pertinent evidence presented, a criminal defense attorney will make sure you have a fair shot at getting your charges lessened, or maybe even having them dismissed altogether.

Smoke shops are waiting to hear from the courts about how they are going to proceed with the lawsuits. Meanwhile, criminal defense attorneys are rolling up their sleeves preparing to defend clients arrested for breaking a highly controversial law.

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How Serious is Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Andrew Stine — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:45:40 GMT

Possession of drug paraphernalia is a residual charge usually added on to a drug possession or drug trafficking charge. While possession of drug paraphernalia is a first-degree misdemeanor, it is punishable by up to a year in jail and expensive fines. Even if you walk away on probation for the misdemeanor offense, you most likely could end up with a permanent criminal record.

Drug Possession and Paraphernalia in Long Key

A Monroe County sheriff’s deputy saved the life of a Miami man hallucinating on mushrooms and apparently intent on drowning himself Saturday. Daniel Yepez, 21, began running when Deputy Nicholis Whiteman responded to a call. Yepez ran into the water saying he wanted to drown. Deputy Whiteman and Yepez’s friend Jason Mavila ran after him. The three struggled but Whiteman got Yepez into a bear hug and managed to drag him to shore.

Yepez was finally pulled from the water, handcuffed, and taken to Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon for treatment. His friends told deputies that Yepez ate mushrooms and started to act strangely and talk about death. He was treated at the hospital then taken to jail. Yepez was charged with resisting arrest with violence, possessing marijuana, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

By then, Yepez had apparently come down from his suicidal high, according to the Palm Beach Post. After Whiteman gave Yepez his Miranda warning, he admitted to owning the "green leafy substance" and a pack of Zig Zag rolling papers found in a can.

Whiteman wrote, "Yepez thanked me for potentially saving his life.”

Drug Possession and Paraphernalia Criminal Defense

A criminal defense lawyer can help you defend yourself against a drug possession charge. Police need legal reasons to stop and search someone or their vehicle for drugs or paraphernalia, which falls under search and seizure laws.

Possession of drug paraphernalia is possession of anything that can be used to package, carry, or consume drugs such as a baggy, pipe, needle, or a bong. These items can be considered paraphernalia as long as there is drug residue left in them. A criminal defense lawyer can help you understand the process of what happens after you have been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Have you ever been charged with drug possession or possession of drug paraphernalia? Tell us your story.

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Florida Drug Statute Declared Unconstitutional - What This Could Mean for You

Andrew Stine — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:54:59 GMT

Florida’s passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 2002 that eliminated criminal intent as an element of the crime. Florida is the only state to eliminate criminal intent. A federal judge has now declared this drug statute as unconstitutional saying that criminal intent is not required to be proven by prosecutors.

Florida’s Drug Crimes

According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven used the example of a student who hides his cocaine in a friend’s backpack without telling him. The friend has no idea it was there but is still guilty of possession due to the Florida statute, even if he had no intent to possess it or didn’t know it was there.

Judge Scriven stated that elimination of the intent element is “atavistic and repugnant to the common law.”

If this declaration of the act as unconstitutional is upheld on appeal, the decision could place hundreds or even thousands of drug convictions in jeopardy.

Comments from several prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers from around the country are praising the ruling. However, the impact of this new decision on past convictions will not be clear until the appeal is upheld. According to the Post, The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of law professor filed briefs in the case. The ruling has created a major buzz among criminal defense lawyers across the state.

Nellie King, president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said:

"Judge Scriven's ruling simply renews the mandates inherent in the Constitution which our legislature opted to ignore."

The state is expected to appeal Scriven's ruling.

Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with drug possession, you need to contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately. These changes in legislation are going to significantly impact the possibility of a conviction. A criminal defense lawyer is knowledgeable about this situation and can help you devise a strategy for the best possibly outcome.

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How are Drug Traffickers Using the Internet and Getting Away with it?

Andrew Stine — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:53:00 GMT

Drug-related crime covers a significant percentage of all crime committed in South Florida. Many officials believe that the huge drug problem in our area is due to the close proximity to international ports. International ports make it much easier for drug traffickers to transport large amounts of drugs to South Florida for distribution elsewhere. However, criminals are becoming more creative with their distribution methods – including using the Internet.

Drug Distribution

According to an article in WPTV News, a new form of drug distribution is catching the attention of law enforcement. Two U.S. senators are asking federal authorities to crack down on a secretive narcotics market operated on the Internet with anonymous sales and untraceable currency.

Heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines are among the drugs being sold in the well-protected website apparently operating for just a few months.

Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia say they asked the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration to shut down and investigate the website, often referred to as the Silk Road after an ancient Asian trade route.

A key to the illicit trade is use of a network by buyers and sellers that conceals their identity. Websites including Gawker have reported on the site, according to the article.

Drug Crimes in South Florida

Drug related crimes are such easy money that people who never expected to get involved with drugs end up selling them. South Florida recognizes the rising statistics with drug-related crimes that the area is becoming famous for its aggressive penalties. In fact, most prosecutors don’t stop with just drug related crimes; they continue on to prosecute residual crimes that are committed due to the use of or involvement with drugs.

Drug Crime Criminal Defense

If you have been accused of or charged with any drug crimes, contact a criminal defense lawyer. Only an experienced criminal defense lawyer from South Florida understands how difficult this process may be. Have a lawyer explain your options to you and help you build a strong strategy so you can have a second chance at life.

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