Two Florida men have been sentenced to prison for an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy supposedly involving five or more states. One of those arrested is 69-years-old and is now facing 10 years in federal prison. The other is 58-years-old and is looking at a prison sentence of nine years.
The claimed scheme was supposed to have involved drug runners taking trips to Florida to acquire oxycodone pills from the individuals that were charged. The two allegedly trafficked hundreds of thousands of pills. The two individuals are reportedly the last of 13 individuals arrested in the scheme to face sentencing.
The potential sentence is lengthy because of the number of pills which were handled by all 13 of the defendants. However, this matter does demonstrate that federal prosecutors often will aggressively pursue such matters when it comes to sentencing of those that are convicted, even those who were low-level transporters.
Cases involving claimed conspiracy to traffic illegal drugs are especially problematic. It's difficult to know in such cases whether the extent of the conduct is the same for all co-conspirators. There can also be concerns that certain individuals involved in conspiracy only plead guilty out of fear that they will face far more severe penalties.
Under any circumstance, anyone charged with drug trafficking or conspiracy to distribute drugs should speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. The sentences for drug trafficking can be severe and can result in many years or even decades in prison.
Source: Jackson Sun, "2 Florida men sentenced in drug trafficking scheme," Feb. 25, 2014
