Articles Posted in Drug Crimes in Jacksonville

A Georgia man is now facing up to 30 years in prison, following his arrest for allegedly selling methamphetamines.  Police received a tip the man would be meeting someone at a store in Nassau County to make the transaction and detectives watched as the deal was conducted, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. The man had twice delivered methamphetamines to an informant who was working with police, the newspaper reported. Because there are multiple sales involved in this Nassau County Drug Case, and likely audio or video recordings of more than one crime, the potential sentence in this case could be severe.

In Nassau County Drug Crime Cases, charges and sentences are determined by two main factors: the type of drug the person is accused of possessing or selling, and the amount of the drug found on their person. While some drugs, such as marijuana, have relatively minor penalties until you get into larger amounts, others are felonies from the word go. That certainly applies to methamphetamines, which have among the most severe penalties of any substance in Nassau County Drug Crimes cases. Federal agents were involved in this case, likely because of the drugs crossing state lines, so it may be handled in federal court with different sentencing guidelines. In Florida, drug trafficking is the most severe drug charge – in terms of the amount a person is accused of possessing. And while in this Nassau County Drug Crimes Case there is evidence of an actual sale, there does not need to be any physical transaction for a trafficking charge – that is based solely on the amount.

Trafficking in marijuana begins at having 25 pounds of the drug, according to Florida law. For methamphetamines, trafficking begins at just 14 grams. Trafficking charges in Nassau County Drug Crimes Cases also include minimum mandatory sentences, which guarantee a certain amount of prison time if a person is convicted or pleads guilty to the charges. For example, if a person is convicted of having between 14 and 28 grams of methamphetamines, there is a minimum mandatory sentence of three years in state prison. If the amount is between 28 and 200 grams, it bumps up to a seven-year minimum mandatory sentence. Any amount more than 200 grams of methamphetamines carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in state prison. And while in most sentences, defendants end up serving about 85 percent of the sentence if they stay out of trouble, every single day of a minimum mandatory sentence must be served.  Our Nassau County Drug Crimes Attorney represents people on all types of drug charges, from possession on up to trafficking.

After months of investigation, police raided a Jacksonville nightclub and made sweeping arrests on drug charges.  Sixteen people were arrested during the raid and 20 more people had warrants out for their arrest as a result of the investigation, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Of those 36, four worked at the club, the newspaper reported, and police officials declined to say if club ownership was involved in the drug activity. Police began investigating after learning of drug activity in the club, and then made more than 100 drug transactions at the club of the course of the undercover investigation.  So when the arrests were made at the club, it wasn’t just police finding some marijuana in people’s pockets at the club. People were arrested, for example, on five counts of selling methamphetamines or four counts of selling methamphetamines and one count of possession of marijuana. Selling methamphetamines is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison. So the person facing five counts is looking at a maximum sentence of 75 years in prison.

Most of the arrests in this Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case were related to club drugs that come up in the Florida Statutes as methamphetamines. In Jacksonville Drug Crimes Cases, the severity of the charge, and thus the potential punishment, is based on the type of drug a person is accused of having or selling, along with how much of the drug is in his or her possession. With methamphetamines and most other drugs, there are no misdemeanor charges – only felonies that have maximum sentences involving some time in state prison. For example, the marijuana possession charge mentioned earlier is a misdemeanor and, generally speaking, marijuana charges are far less severe than with harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines.

The prosecution of these Jacksonville Drug Crime Cases will be interesting, because it appears that police already have some form of evidence on drug sales, based on the more than 100 they’ve been a part of, according to the newspaper. Police generally document these transactions so they are available in court, so there is likely a video or audio recording police can show in court. Also, with this many people involved, expect the wheeling and dealing to already be underway – especially with the four employees who are charged. There’s generally a “big fish” police are after in a case like this, which in all likelihood is one of the people who owns the club. Police and prosecutors will often offer a reduced sentence for people willing to testify to the source of the drugs, or provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction police are really after.

A string of undercover operations in Nassau County led to more than 20 arrests on serious felony charges over the past several months.  All of the charges are for selling drugs in what police dubbed Operation No Trap Zone and rolled out to the media this month, complete with 20 mug shots of the people who were arrested, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. All are facing felony charges and there are more than 50 charges combined, the newspaper reported.  The arrests were all made over the past several months, but police often bring them all together in one news release to maximize the attention in the media.

Exact details were not released in this Nassau County Drug Crimes Case, but it appears undercover detectives were buying drugs from the people who were arrested. The majority of the charges are for selling cocaine, but other drugs listed in the newspaper report include marijuana and various prescription drugs. Selling cocaine is a second-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison. The charge can become more severe, depending on where the alleged crime occurs. For example, if the sale is within 1,000 feet of a university, public housing facility, church, school or park, the crime becomes a first-degree felony. At that point, a conviction or guilty plea in a Nassau County Drug Crimes Case carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in state prison.

The same charges and penalties apply for the majority of the other drugs people are accused of selling in this Nassau County Drug Crimes Case. The sale of Hydrocodone, Xanax and other prescription drugs is also a second-degree felony. The only drug someone is accused of selling in this Nassau County Drug Crimes Case that is not a second-degree felony is marijuana. Sale of marijuana is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in state prison. Penalties and sentences vary more in Nassau County Drug Crimes Cases where the issue is possessing drugs – severe penalties kick in much quicker for cocaine and pills that they do for marijuana, for example.  In this Nassau County Drug Crimes Case, it does not appear that this is one large drug operation police have broken up, but rather a series of smaller enterprises. However, with this many arrests and all but one person living in Fernandina Beach, there have to be a few connections. Prosecutors are almost certainly talking to the defendants to see what they know – and if that information is valuable enough to the state to start cutting deals and getting people to testify against each other.  Our Nassau County Drug Crimes Attorney has represented people facing a variety of drug crimes, including possession and sale cases. Our Nassau County Criminal Defense Attorney will thoroughly investigate your case and provide you with the information you or your loved one need to make a decision on how to proceed.

The former police chief in Atlantic Beach, who was facing decades behind bars on serious drug charges, has reached a deal that will keep him out of prison. The deal includes pleading guilty to five charges, including tampering with evidence and possession of illegal steroids, the newspaper reported. He was originally charged last fall with 21 counts, including trafficking in codeine – a first-degree felony with a maximum penalty of 30 years and a minimum mandatory sentence of at least three years in prison. The state dropped the minimum mandatory as part of the plea deal in this Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case, the newspaper reported. Instead of prison time, the deal calls for five years of probation, forfeiting his law enforcement license and paying $11,300 in restitution, the newspaper reported. The deal will become official and the remaining 16 charges will be dropped when the man is sentenced next month.

Police intercepted a package sent to the man from overseas that contained anti-anxiety pills, the newspaper reported. The man was also having illegal steroids shipped from other countries. Police raided his home and found more of the same drugs, though the computer used to order the drugs had been destroyed, the newspaper reported. The evidence tampering charge is likely related to the computer. But, overall, police say the man was cooperative during the raid in this Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case, took police to different parts of his home where more of the drugs were located, including a closet where he took pills out of a shirt pocket, and was forthcoming in the interviews. He did have a prescription for some of the medication, but was illegally buying it online, the newspaper reported.

Charges and penalties in Jacksonville Drug Crimes Cases are determined by the type of drug a person is accused of possessing, and how much of that drug is found. For example, the police chief in this Jacksonville Drug Crimes Case was charged with drug trafficking. That’s not because he was selling the pills, as the charge would imply. Trafficking charges are based on the weight of the drug found and, in Jacksonville Drug Crimes Cases involving pills, a bottle of hydrocodone is enough. It is rare for the state to agree to a deal that goes from drug trafficking charges and 21 charges down to a sentence that has probation and no prison time. Cooperating with police can be helpful in getting a better deal, but that should be done at the advice of a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney. If you know or suspect you are the subject of a criminal investigation, a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney can help with explaining your rights, can be with you during any interview and can help with surrendering a defendant to police without a scene if charges end up being filed.

Detectives arrested one person on felony drug charges after police raided a meth lab in a Jacksonville apartment complex. Police received a tip about meth production at the apartment and served a warrant one morning last week, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Meth was not being made at the time police went to the apartment, but they did find materials used to make meth – including the ingredients and equipment, the newspaper reported. The exact charges were not specified in the newspaper report, but there are no misdemeanor crimes when it comes to meth. Every Jacksonville Drug Crimes Charge related to meth is a felony.

Felony degrees and sentences in Jacksonville Drug Crimes Cases are based on two factors: the type of drug and how much a person is accused of having in their possession. Charges related to methamphetamines are among the most serious of all Jacksonville Drug Crimes. For example, even possessing the materials used to manufacture meth is a second-degree felony that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in state prison. Manufacturing meth is also a second-degree felony. While many people think drug trafficking charges are solely related to selling drugs, they are not. Trafficking is based on the amount of the drug and police do not have to prove the defendant had any intention of selling the narcotics. In meth cases, trafficking begins at just 14 grams and the trafficking charge is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in state prison – which various minimum mandatory sentences based on the amount of the drug the person is charged with having.

Another enhanced charge related to manufacturing meth relates to who is around when the drug is being produced. If a person is manufacturing meth in front of a minor, the charge becomes a first-degree felony, also with a maximum penalty of 30 years in state prison. When meth is produced, it emits dangerous chemicals and fumes that are toxic to anyone, but can be particularly harmful to children. Many meth lab busts are in apartment complexes or hotels and police often evacuate adjacent rooms or residences to fully decontaminate the scene and make sure no one is injured. The odor also makes it easier for people nearby to detect, which is likely why many meth lab busts begin from a tip to police. Our Jacksonville Drug Crimes Attorney represents people facing all types of drug charges, from misdemeanor marijuana possession on up to trafficking in meth. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney will thoroughly investigate your case and provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision on how to proceed.

St. Johns County police raided a St. Johns County home this month after the residents were accused of manufacturing methamphetamines in the home. Detectives found meth, many materials used to make the drug, and venting system used to route the toxic fumes from making the drug outside of the home, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Police also removed two small children from the home because of the dangerous fumes that are emitted when producing the drug, the newspaper reported. Two of the people charged live in the home, the newspaper reported. They are facing a several felonies, including child neglect, manufacturing methamphetamines, possession of methamphetamines and manufacturing methamphetamines in the presence of a minor. The final listed charge, manufacturing methamphetamine in a structure where a minor is present, is by far the most serious. It is a first-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The charge also carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison.

Among the other charges in this St. Johns County Drug Crimes Case, child neglect and possession of methamphetamines are both third-degree felonies with a penalty of up to five years in state prison and manufacturing methamphetamines is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A third person who did not live in the home is also facing charges, but not for child neglect or the first-degree felony regarding children in the home. Charges and potential penalties in St. Johns County Drug Crimes Cases vary dramatically based on the type of drug involved. Methamphetamines charges carry serious penalties, based primarily on the harm that can be done to people near where the drug is being produced. For example, meth labs are often found in apartment complexes or hotels – places where there are several other people or families separated only by a wall. In those St. Johns County Drug Crimes Cases, authorities will evacuate nearby rooms or apartments until the areas can be decontaminated. The toxic element and the two small children will be difficult to overcome in this St. Johns County Drug Crimes Case.

Even without the manufacturing element, charges involving methamphetamines carry far more severe penalties than those for a drug such as marijuana. There are various thresholds for charges based on the amount of a drug a person has in his or her possession. Just 14 grams of methamphetamine can be a first-degree felony for drug trafficking, while the same amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor. Our St. Johns County Drug Crimes Attorney is well-versed in the penalties and charges that vary based on the type of drug charge you or your loved one is facing. Our St. Johns County Criminal Defense Attorney will fully investigate your case and explain the consequences and charges so you or your loved one can make the best decision going forward.

A Clay County man who was part of an ongoing methamphetamines investigation was arrested this month, accused of purchasing many of the chemicals needed to produce the drug. Police said they were alerted that the man bought a package of cold medicine used to make meth from a Jacksonville pharmacy, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Investigators were alerted because the man was already on a watch list for people suspected of making methamphetamines, the newspaper reported. When police tracked him down, they allegedly found him with a plastic bottle positioned to cook the meth in his car, along with other chemicals, the newspaper reported. Police then searched his home and found more chemicals hidden in the ceiling, the newspaper reported.

He is now charged with trafficking in methamphetamines, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in state prison. The defendant is also facing a charge of producing methamphetamines, a second-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison. Trafficking charges are very serious and begin if someone is in possession of just 14 grams of the drug. Trafficking amounts vary based on the type of drug and meth has one of the lower thresholds of any street drug. Methamphetamines are treated similar to oxycodone and other prescription pain pills, where a handful of pills can end up being a trafficking charge. And trafficking does not necessarily mean the person is selling the drug – the charge is based solely on the amount the person is charged with having.

For methamphetamines, anything between 14 and 28 grams carries minimum mandatory sentence of three years in state prison. Between 28 grams and 200 grams, that minimum rises to seven years. Anything more than 200 grams has a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison. Records show the defendant in this Clay County Drug Crimes case had recently pleaded guilty to less serious methamphetamines charges earlier in the year, but was out on bond awaiting sentencing. His arrest on new Clay County Drug Charges will not sit well at all with the judge and will likely cost him several years in prison. Showing remorse and changing behavior is important to judges making sentencing decisions, and doing the same thing just months after getting out of jail is not going to help. Our Clay County Drug Crimes Attorney represents people on all levels of drug charges – from possession to trafficking, from marijuana to methamphetamines. Our Clay County Criminal Defense Attorney will thoroughly investigate your case and lay out the options for your or your loved one to make the best decision going forward.