Explaining Federal Drug Crimes

America’s “war on drugs” has criminalized drug possession, manufacturing, distribution and trafficking at both the state and federal levels. Drug and alcohol abuse costs society over $100 billion each year by creating criminal behavior, accidental deaths and injuries, medical care, dependency treatment and much more. It’s no wonder law enforcement; the FBI, the DEA and the CIA invest so many resources in fighting the “war on drugs.”

State versus Federal Drug Laws

Although each state has its very own set of drug laws, the one main difference between a state arrest and a federal conviction, is the fact that most local or state arrests are made on charges of possession, whereas the majority of federal convictions are for trafficking. If you are under investigation for a federal drug crime, it’s extremely important that you secure legal representation from a highly trained federal criminal defense attorney.

Another key difference between federal and state drug laws has to do with the severity of the consequences. Federal drug charges are more serious in nature, and carry with them higher fines and longer prison sentencing. For example, a state arrest for possession without the intent to distribute usually involves a smaller fine, a short time in jail and probation, and is typically charged as a misdemeanor. On the other hand, a federal drug conviction is typically charged as a felony offense, which means years in prison, steep fines, probation or parole, narcotics offender registration and more. In addition, a suspect may be subject to sentence enhancements if there were aggravating circumstances involved such as weapons charges or money laundering.

Federal Drug Crimes Defense Lawyer

At Guy L. Womack & Associates, P.C., we have extensive experience in handling high profile federal drug crimes cases. We will conduct an investigation into your charges, which may unearth unreasonable search and seizure by federal law enforcement agents. If this winds up being the case, the evidence obtained from that search should not be used against you in court. Due to the seriousness of federal drug charges, hiring a federal drug crimes defense attorney from our firm at the onset of your investigation will give you the best chances for a positive outcome.

Contact a federal drug crime defense lawyer from our firm for a free case evaluation.