Tampa Federal Drug Trafficking Lawyer
There are few more serious federal offenses than drug trafficking. Because of the opioid and heroin epidemic that we are currently in, prosecutors just about always come down heavily on anyone charged with drug trafficking, even if the narcotic is not an opioid, such as marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine. We strongly encourage those who are being accused of drug trafficking to refrain from speaking with the police or prosecutors about their case, and to immediately contact a qualified Tampa federal drug trafficking lawyer with the requisite trial experience defending against the most serious drug offenses. The Matassini Law Firm, P.A. provides the highest possible legal defense against drug trafficking, and our lawyers have extensive knowledge in this high-stakes field of law.
Federal Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking is the manufacture or transaction of a large quantity of controlled substances. Under federal law, it is to knowingly or intentionally “manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance.” As such, anyone involved in any process of drug trafficking—from driving the drugs from point A to point B, to coordinating the manufacturing process via phone calls—can be charged with drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is the most serious federal drug crime, and nearly everyone convicted of it will likely spend time in prison.
What Quantity of a Controlled Substance Constitutes Drug Trafficking?
All controlled substances are illegal. Even prescription drugs are illegal to those who do not have a current subscription to the drug. However, simply possessing a small quantity of a controlled substance does not constitute drug trafficking. Even moderate possession, such as 300 grams of cocaine, is not drug trafficking. Only when a certain threshold of a drug is possessed, sold, manufactured, distributed, or transported does the offense cross the line into drug trafficking.
For the following quantities, the mandatory minimum prison sentence is five years. However, offenders can be sentenced up to 40 years for:
- Cocaine—500-4999 grams
- Fentanyl—40-399 grams
- Heroin—100-999 grams
- LSD—1-9 grams
- Methamphetamine —5-49 grams
- PCP—100-999 grams
The mandatory minimum for the following quantities is 10 years in prison, and the maximum is up to life in prison:
- Cocaine—5 kilograms or more
- Fentanyl—400 grams or more
- Heroin—1 kilogram or more
- LSD—10 grams or more
- Methamphetamine—500 grams or more
- PCP—1 kilogram or more
Cannabis
While cannabis is legal in many states, drug trafficking laws still apply federally, and here in Florida.
- 100 to 999 kilograms of marijuana, or 100 to 999 marijuana plants—5 to 40 years in prison
- 1,000 kilogram or more, or 1,000 marijuana plants or more—10 years to life in prison
Call a Tampa Federal Drug Trafficking Lawyer Today
Drug trafficking penalties are already extreme, but they are greatly enhanced if anyone is seriously injured or killed during the commission of the crime. Those arrested for federal drug trafficking must work with an attorney. Before agreeing to a plea deal with the police or discussing your case with a prosecutor, call the Tampa federal drug trafficking lawyers at The Matassini Law Firm, P.A., today at 813-217-5715 to schedule a free consultation.
