Drug Trafficking is frequently defined as the purchase and sale of illegal drugs, or the manufacture, delivery or importation of illegal drugs across state or national borders, or throughout the state. This offense can be charged as a federal offense and/or a Florida state offense. Both the federal charge and state charge carry severe punishments with prison time and/or fines.
Commonly trafficked controlled substances can include illegal drugs and prescription pills, such as:
- Cannabis, or Marijuana, Weed, Pot, Chronic, Ganja or Bud
- Heroin
- Cocaine
- LSD
- OxyContin
- Hydrocdone
- Vicodin
- Opium
- Magic Mushrooms
- Xanax
- Codeine
- Morphine
Drug Trafficking from Florida into other states has become a commonly charged offense in Florida due to the increase of unlawful pain clinics and “pill mills.” Sometimes legitimate doctors unknowingly prescribe a patient additional quantities of controlled substances they have already been prescribed. If these people cross state lines with the large quantities of controlled substances or numerous prescriptions, the doctors and patients can both be charged for Drug Trafficking.
Tallahassee Drug Trafficking Defense Lawyer
If you have been charged with Drug Trafficking in Leon County, it is important to hire an attorney who will seek to reduce your charges or have them dismissed depending on the facts of your case. Don Pumphrey, Jr. is experienced with drug defense and Florida Drug Trafficking laws. If you have been charged in Florida with Drug Trafficking, contact Don Pumphrey, Jr. today for a consultation about your alleged offense in Tallahassee.
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Federal Schedule of Drugs and Penalties for Drug Trafficking
Under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §§ 807 et seq.), it is a federal offense to manufacture, import, distribute or traffic controlled substances with the intent to sell the controlled substances either across state borders, throughout the state or from a foreign country into Florida.
The federal Controlled Substances Act lists and classifies drugs as most serious with the greatest likelihood of abuse (Schedule I) to least serious with hardly any potential for abuse (Schedule V). The following defines each category of the federal Schedule of Drugs:
- Schedule I – Controlled substances that are extremely likely to be abused and have no known or accepted medical uses
- Schedule II – Controlled substances that are highly likely to be abused, but have known or accepted medical uses with strict restrictions
- Schedule III – Controlled substances with a slight potential for abuse, but have known or accepted medical uses with a lower likelihood of dependence
- Schedule IV – Controlled substances with a lower potential for abuse than Schedule III, and have known or accepted medical uses with limited dependence
- Schedule V – Controlled substances with the least amount of abuse, and have known or accepted medical uses with very little dependence
Penalties for Drug Trafficking can vary depending on which schedule the controlled substance falls into. A few examples of penalties include:
- If no prior convictions, 10 years to life in federal prison,
- If death or serious bodily injury results from the offense, or the alleged offender already has one prior conviction, 20 years to life in federal prison,
- If two or more prior convictions, life imprisonment in federal prison without parole,
- Individual fines up to $8,000,000, and
- Fines, if not an individual, up to $20,000,000.
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Florida’s Schedule of Drugs
Under section 893.03 of the Florida Statutes, controlled substances in Florida can be classified from Schedule I to Schedule V, depending on the severity of the potential for abuse of the substance and whether accepted medical uses for the substance exist.
- Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and no acknowledged medical use in the United States. Examples in this schedule are GHB and heroin.
- Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse and a very limited accepted medical use in the United States. Some examples of controlled substances in this category are cocaine, Oxycodone or Codeine.
- Schedule III drugs have a lower potential for abuse, and have accepted medical uses. Examples in this schedule include barbituic acid and anabolic steroids.
- Schedule IV drugs have an even lower potential for abuse than Schedule III drugs and have commonly accepted medical uses in the United States.
- Schedule V drugs have the lowest potential for abuse and commonly accepted medical uses in the United States.
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Penalties for Drug Trafficking in Florida
Florida Statutes § 893.135 defines the penalties for Drug Trafficking in Florida. A conviction for Drug Trafficking in Florida can be a felony of the first degree or a capital felony depending on the amount trafficked, the type of controlled substance, and whether death or serious bodily injured occurred as a result of the offense.
A capital felony incurs a death sentence, or in some cases, life imprisonment without the option of parole.
A conviction for a felony in the first degree for Drug Trafficking can include up to 30 years or life in Florida prison, depending on the offense, and up to $10,000 in fines.
As the amount of the controlled substance being trafficked increases, penalties can increase, with mandatory minimum prison sentences and greatly increased fines.
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The Law Offices of Don Pumphrey, Jr. | Tallahassee Drug Trafficking Defense Attorney
If you have been charged with Drug Trafficking in Leon County, Tallahassee, contact The Law Offices of Don Pumphrey, Jr. to discuss the facts of your particular case. An experienced drug defense attorney in Tallahassee can help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case and avoid severe penalties. Lawyer Don Pumphrey, Jr. has represented those accused of Drug Trafficking in Florida, and will aggressively fight your criminal charge. Contact Don Pumphrey, Jr. at (850) 681-7777 for a consultation about your alleged drug trafficking charge.