Earlier this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration tipped off law enforcement in Nashville about a suspicious shipment arriving on a passenger flight. A scan of a 22-year-old woman’s luggage at her point of departure in October revealed what appeared to be packages of marijuana.
Authorities intercepted her when she was collecting her suitcases and initiated a search. They located roughly 50 pounds of marijuana along with two packages that each weighed 1 kilogram. At first, law enforcement officers thought that the smaller packages contained cocaine but later determined that it was fentanyl. A crime lab calculated that the 2 kilograms of fentanyl would produce approximately 1 million lethal doses.
A police report about the woman’s arrest indicated that she was offered $1,000 to transport the suitcases. She claimed not to have any knowledge of what they contained. She now faces charges of possessing drugs for resale.
A conviction on drug charges could result in serious consequences for a person caught up in a drug investigation. However, an attorney familiar with drug crimes could help a defendant understand options within the criminal justice system. An attorney’s evaluation of the evidence could lead to a defense strategy. Evidence gathered during an unlawful search and seizure might be dismissed if an attorney challenges the prosecutor over the violation of Constitutional rights. If evidence remains valid, a defendant could choose to consider a plea deal. An attorney might convince a prosecutor to reduce the charges and offer a lenient sentence. With legal advice, the defendant can avoid accepting a plea bargain without fully understanding its terms.
