A 36-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were arrested at their Spring Hill home after police searched the house on a warrant March 15 and allegedly found cash, a stolen handgun and drugs. The pair faces drug offenses that include marijuana possession with intent to sell and cocaine trafficking.
Police seized approximately 80 grams of marijuana, less than five ounces of crack cocaine, drug-making paraphernalia and a handgun that was reportedly stolen during a Hernando County burglary in 2011. The couple has also been charged with possession of structure for drug manufacturing with minor children present. The 36-year-old man also faces charges of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing of stolen property and possession a controlled substance. He remains in jail due to a prior cocaine trafficking charge in January. The 27-year-old female was released on a bond of $85,500.
In Florida, manufacturing and trafficking controlled substances carries potentially long-term consequences. In the case of cocaine trafficking, a conviction for trafficking 28 to 200 grams demands a mandatory 36-month prison term and a $50,000 fine. However, the prison term can be as long as 30 years. As the amount of cocaine being trafficked rises, so do the mandatory sentences and fines.
It may be possible for a criminal defense attorney to review the case of a person accused of drug trafficking or manufacturing to assure that the police followed proper search and seizure procedures. If the proper steps weren’t followed during the search and seizure, it may be possible to weaken the prosecution’s defense and have the charges reduced or, in some cases, dismissed.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, “Spring Hill man, woman face drug charges after search of home ,” March 29, 2013
Source: Online Sunshine, “The 2008 Florida Statutes: CHAPTER 893 DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL,” 2008