A Florida father and son were arrested on March 26 in Miami on charges of distributing drugs. The Miami-Dade Police Department reports that they found drugs and weapons in the northwest Miami home that the two men were residing in. The police said that they began investigating after receiving anonymous tips that drug-related activity was occurring in the house. On March 25, they placed the men under surveillance and allegedly witnessed visitors exchanging cash for packages at the house.
According to the arrest affidavit, the police officers knocked on the front door, and the younger man answered it. The affidavit says that the man took a defensive posture and swung at an officer, but he was struck on the head and fell down. The officers then took him into custody. The report claims that after the older man gave his consent for them to search the house, signing a form declaring so, they searched it and found three firearms and some narcotics, leading them to detain the men while they asked a judge for a search warrant. The next day, police allegedly found a range of drugs from the home, including marijuana, cocaine, MDMA, mushrooms and hash. The report also claims that police found 14 rifles and nine handguns in total.
The father in this case was charged with armed drug trafficking, and the younger man was charged with possessing and selling drugs and possessing a firearm while committing a felony. The charges against these men are but another chapter in the war against drugs.
Someone charged with a serious offense such as drug trafficking faces the possibility of a long prison sentence if convicted. The men in this case may choose to take a plea bargain in order to serve shorter sentences. However, a defense lawyer may be able to suppress the evidence if it can be shown that the initial entry and search of the home was a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.
Source: Miami Herald, “Tip leads Miami-Dade cops to drug and weapons stash,” Charles Rabin, March 27, 2014
Source: NBC Miami, “Father, Son Accused of Dealing Drugs“, March 27, 2014