Florida Prescription Drug Crime Defense Lawyers and Attorneys
Prescription drug crime particularly crimes involving painkillers like oxycodone is one of the major issues facing us today in Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Manatee and cities and counties all across southwest Florida. Make no mistake, this is an epidemic. Legislation to limit the amount of illegal prescription painkillers on our streets has recently been passed targeting pain management clinics. Every day you are most likely hearing more and more about this issue. People are driving across state lines and into Florida to buy these pills as our state does not have a database linking information between pharmacies causing a huge problem for law enforcement in stopping this epidemic.
The addiction to oxycodone is so strong that people are robbing pharmacies to get it. And not only is oxycodone a powerful drug unlike any other, punishment for the illegal possession of oxycodone is even more severe than for other drugs. It may be hard to believe, but the sentences for unlawfully possessing oxycodone — or its derivatives — are nearly double or more than that of cocaine possession! The disparity is amazing… look for yourself:
Trafficking in Marijuana: between 25 and 2000 pounds…………..3 years
Trafficking in GHB: between 1 and 5 kilograms………………………3 years
Trafficking in Cocaine: between 28 and 200 grams…………………3 years
Trafficking in Oxycodone: between 14 and 28 grams……………..15 years!
If you are charged with trafficking in oxycodone, you absolutely must defend yourself against the charges! How? The best defense is to attack how the evidence was obtained, because, if the evidence was obtained in violation of your fourth amendment rights, then the illegally-seized evidence cannot be used.
According to criminal defense attorney Darren Finebloom, here are a few things to look for in determining whether a search was legal:
“You have the right not to consent to the search of your property, whether that property is your car, boat or home. Make sure the police have a warrant for the place, or places, they are about to search. Do not fall prey to threats by the police that if you ʻhelp them things will go easier for you. Also, do not succumb to the threat of being deported if you do not allow the search.”
“Police are taught tactics to employ to get you to consent to searches,” Darren states, “so it is my job to know about the latest police tactics and how to defend against them. This is a job I take seriously because your freedom depends on it!”
Depending on the nature of your charge, you are definitely facing a felony, a minimum of five years in prison and potentially a lot more than that. In many of the counties we work in, there are undercover officers working tirelessly to infiltrate these pill networks. You may believe in your heart you are helping out a friend you may have known for years by selling them some pain medication, but that friend may be cooperating with the police. By you selling those pills to your friend, you have now opened yourself up to serious time in a state prison. Call us for help if you have been arrested for any type of case dealing with painkillers or prescription drugs.
