Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
One man has been arrested, but there could be more on the way as Jacksonville police investigate what could be a massive cocaine ring. Police arrested a 20-year-old Jacksonville man on a charge of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Records indicate that his father, uncle and another man are listed as co-conspirators in the case, meaning they are at least three of the other people involved in the alleged conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, the newspaper reported. No other arrests have been made in the case, but records indicate police suspect the men are involved in bringing large quantities of cocaine from Texas to Jacksonville, and then distributing it here, the newspaper reported. When police arrested the son, he had a small amount of marijuana on him and two bags of oxycodone pills, the newspaper reported. For that, he was also charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and trafficking of opium or a derivative. The marijuana charge is a misdemeanor, while the trafficking charge is a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in state prison.
Although this Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case does appear to involve the sale of drugs, trafficking charges in Jacksonville Drug Crimes Cases are based solely on the amount of the drug the person is accused of having. And how much of the drug makes it a trafficking charge varies dramatically by the type of drug. For example, the marijuana charge is a misdemeanor because the man is accused of having less than 20 grams of the drug. But for oxycodone, trafficking charges can begin at just four grams of the drug – just a handful of pills. If the person has between four and 14 grams, there is a minimum mandatory prison sentence of three years. If the amount is between 14 and 28 grams, there is a 15-year minimum mandatory sentence. More than 28 grams and it is 25 years. To compare, possession of marijuana does not become a trafficking charge until the person is caught with 25 POUNDS of the drug – or 300 plants. And in terms of the Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case police are now investigating, cocaine is treated much closer to opium than it is marijuana, so the man and the others suspected in the ring are likely looking at the possibility of decades behind bars if arrests are eventually made and charges are ultimately filed. Our Jacksonville Drug Crimes Attorney represents people on all types of drug crimes – from misdemeanor marijuana possession on up to felony trafficking cases.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Drug Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.