Local resident arrested on drug trafficking charges
August 05, 2010
A South Florida man was arrested in Georgia on
drug trafficking charges. More specifically, the defendant was charged with trafficking in ecstasy pills. Georgia law enforcement pulled over Wayne Hill, a Miami-Dade County resident, on I-75 as part of a routine traffic stop. The police discovered 40,000 ecstasy pills with a street value of approximately $800,000. They believe Hill is part of a drug trafficking organization that moves ecstasy from Canada to Miami and exchanges the drug for cocaine which is in turn trafficked to Canada.
Miami criminal lawyers have seen increases in drug trafficking cases as the economy has been slow to recover. Ecstasy possession and trafficking have become more common with the increase in the drugs popularity.
Miami has become a large importer of ecstasy as it has become a popular club drug. Ecstasy is actually manufactured in Holland and is imported to Canada and delivered throughout the United States. Ecstasy also known as MDMA falls into the category of drugs called Phenethylamines. The particular isomer of MDMA is formally called methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Due to the increase in popularity of ecstasy, the Florida statutes have set out minimum/mandatory prison sentences that apply to individuals charged and convicted of trafficking in MDMA.
If a person is charged with trafficking in MDMA, more than 10 grams, but less than 200 grams, a 3 year minimum/mandatory sentence will attach. If the trafficking charge involves more than 200 grams, but less than 400 grams, a 7 year minimum mandatory sentence will attach. If the MDMA trafficking charge involves more than 400 grams of ecstasy, a 15 year minimum/mandatory sentence will apply. In most cases, persons charged with
possession of ecstasy will be offered a credit time served plea or drug court. Prior to entering a plea or going into the drug court program, a person should consult with a
Miami criminal defense lawyer experienced in defending drug cases. In many drug trafficking and drug possession cases, the police violate an individual's 4th Amendment rights against illegal searches and seizures and the case will be dismissed by the prosecutor.
A general rule to follow is to never give consent to search your vehicle or your home. Police officers and narcotics detectives will be forced to get a warrant to search any place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. In many instances, law enforcement does not have the requisite probable cause to get a warrant. Never give a statement to the police. When drugs are found in an automobile, the police and the prosecutor will not be able to prove that a person actually or constructively possessed the illegal substance. Admitting that the drugs are yours will only result in a criminal conviction. No one ever helped their case by cooperating with the police. The police may promise to let you go if you admit the drugs are yours, but 99 times out of 100 a person will end up in the Dade-County Jail.
40,000 Ecstasy Pills Found During Traffic Stop, WSBTV.com, August 3, 2010.
