You may have made some questionable decisions and got yourself involved in the distribution or manufacturing of drugs. You may not have meant to harm anyone by your actions, but if you are facing drug charges your future could be at stake, especially if you are facing federal drug charges with enhanced penalties.
General penalties for drug crimes
Simple possession of a controlled substance can lead to felony charges if you have a prior drug conviction on your record. The penalty for misdemeanor drug possession is one year in jail.
If you are charged with a more serious drug crime under federal law such as drug distribution or drug manufacturing, you can face up to 20 years in prison. However, the type of drug at issue can impact how long you may be imprisoned if convicted.
Enhanced penalties for certain drug crimes
If your crime involves certain amounts of the following drugs, you could face a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. Drugs that fall under these enhanced penalties include certain amounts of:
- Meth
- Crack
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- PCP
- Cocaine
- LSD
Possessing greater amounts of the above drugs for distribution or manufacturing could lead to even greater prison sentences. If your crime involved large amounts of the above drugs, you could face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
In addition, enhanced penalties may apply if you had a prior felony drug conviction. You could also face enhanced penalties if your actions caused the death or serious bodily injury of another. Finally, you could face enhanced penalties if you distributed drugs to minors or in areas where minors are generally present such as school grounds.
If you are charged with a drug crime you may feel frightened or embarrassed. You want the problem to go away before it can affect your personal or professional reputation. Many people charged with federal drug crimes decide to discuss the charges with a professional so they can make informed decisions in their defense.