Federal Narcotics Offenses

When a person is charged with a federal drug crime, there are many things that may happen, but the first thing order of business is to retain a skilled criminal defense attorney who will aggressively advocate on his or her behalf. Once a person has been targeted for federal drug charges, the AUSA and the investigating agents work in conjunction with each other. Keep in mind that the main goal of these individuals, backed by the full weight of the government and seemingly endless resources, is to get a conviction. Federal agents will attempt to interview targets, or suspects, of federal investigations before they charge them or have them indicted. They do this in an attempt to get the suspect to make incriminating statements before they are charged and “lawyer up”. It is critical to remain quiet and get the right attorneys as soon as you become aware that you are being targeted or investigated.

There are many different factors that go into federal drug charges, including what type of drugs are being manufactured, distributed, or sold. Federal drug charges involve the following:

• Controlled substances – this classification of substances involves drugs whose manufacture and distribution are regulated by law. There are five different schedules of controlled substances that exist at both state and federal levels. The schedules indicate, for the most part, the degree of regulation and the nature of the controlled substances. Schedule 1 Controlled Substances typically have the most addictive characteristics and often have no medical use whatsoever (cocaine, crack, etc.). The drugs become less regulated as the schedule numbers get higher. One thing that often confuses individuals charged with a federal drug crime is that marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug under federal law, thereby leading to severe penalties when a person may not anticipate it; and
• Illegal narcotics – Drugs that are classified as illegal narcotics are listed on the Schedule 1 Controlled Substances list, although technically the term narcotics applies to opiate-based drugs. The three elements that illegal narcotics have in common are that they are highly addictive, they do not have a widely-accepted medical use, and there is a serious potential for abuse. Some of the drugs that are listed as illegal Schedule 1 narcotics are heroin, LSD, Ecstasy, peyote, and methaqualone. Having any involvement with these drugs often carries severe penalties.

The penalties that a person who has been charged with a federal drug crime face depend on just some the following, including, but not limited to:

• The type of the drug involved in the criminal activity;
• How much drug was involved;
• The location in which the person was discovered with the drug;
• Whether the person being charged had a criminal history involving drugs;
• Whether or not a weapon was displayed or exhibited, and
• Whether or not the drugs were sold to a minor.

Even when a person was not directly involved in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of the drugs, he might face a charge of conspiracy. One of the unique aspects of this charge in federal court is that the accused may face the same potential penalties as the wrongdoers who directly are involved in the criminal drug activities.

When a person has been charged with the manufacture, distribution, or sale of a controlled substance, the potential criminal penalties are severe. The skilled and zealous criminal defense attorneys at Greco Neyland, PC are ready to go to battle on his behalf.

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Greco Neyland, PC – We are Committed to Fighting for Our Clients’ Rights

If a person is facing charges for the manufacture, distribution, or sale of a controlled substance in federal court, it is imperative to have the right attorneys fighting on their side. The founding members of Greco Neyland, PC understand what is at stake and have created a firm that is committed to doing everything possible to help our clients, which means that we are not going to accept a plea deal that is not in the best interest of our client. We always are prepared to go to trial, which means that we do not approach a case with the plea-bargain mentality that so many other lawyers possess.

Our Manhattan office is located conveniently close to both the Southern District’s Federal Courthouse in Manhattan, as well as the Eastern District of New York’s Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, and our attorneys are very familiar with the AUSAs who work out of both of these courthouses, enabling us to navigate through the criminal charges process with skill and confidence. Call us at (212) 951-1300 to schedule your free consultation so that we can go to work on your behalf.