Drug Offenses

What is a drug crime?

A drug crime is a criminal act involving the manufacturing, trafficking, possession, or sale of a scheduled narcotic. Unlawful narcotics include: heroin, LSD, cocaine, crack, marijuana, methamphetamines, and unauthorized prescription medications such as OxyContin or Vicodin.

Frequently Committed Drug Crimes

Both the state and federal law enforcement agencies in Ohio have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drug related offenses. All drug crimes are taken seriously and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Commonly committed drug crimes include both illegal drugs and prescription drugs.

Illegal Drugs

Drug charges involving illegal drugs include Possession of Drugs, Trafficking Drugs, Manufacturing or Cultivating Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possessing or Trafficking Counterfeit Controlled Substances, and Permitting Drug Abuse. The seriousness of these drug offenses depends on the type and amount of the drug involved. For example, possessing a small amount of marijuana may be a misdemeanor while possessing large amounts of marijuana is a felony that may require a mandatory prison sentence. Possessing most other illegal drugs (like cocaine, heroine, LSD, PCP, and methamphetamine) is always charged as a felony, and the level of the felony depends on the amount of the illegal drug possessed.

Prescription Drugs

As abuse of prescription drugs has increased in Ohio, laws have gotten tougher, and charges for these offenses have been filed with increasing frequency. Such charges include Possession of Drugs, Deception to Obtain Dangerous Drugs, Illegal Processing of Drug Documents, Trafficking in Drugs, and Forgery.

People that are charged with crimes involving prescription drugs often begin with a legitimate need and a legitimate prescription. That legitimate need can evolve into psychological and/or physical addiction to the medication. The addiction can lead to prohibited conduct to obtain the drugs: buying medication from another person without a prescription, doctor shopping, altering prescriptions, generating counterfeit prescriptions, forging prescriptions, and so on.

Once a person is convicted a Drug Crime, he/she may be punished with:
Mandatory imprisonment
Imprisonment
Large fines
Restitution
Community service
Probation
parole
Mandatory drug and alcohol counseling
Mandatory drivers license suspension

Due to the life-altering legal consequences that are involved, it is always in a persons best interest to obtain the services of a criminal defense attorney who has the legal background and knowledge it takes to successfully fight drug crime charges.

Scott A. Rubenstein has been helping clients throughout Southern Ohio contest their criminal charges and obtain superior results for years. As a skilled drug crime attorney, he is fully prepared to undertake his clients cases. When he works with his clients, he does everything possible to make sure that they receive the attention, resources, and dedicated legal counsel that they deserve.

If you have been charged with a serious criminal offense, do not hesitate to call The Law Offices of Scott A. Rubenstein at (513) 241-7460. He can evaluate your case and advise you of your legal options.