Maryland Volume Dealer Lawyer
Depending on the substance and weight, a drug distribution charge can be elevated to a volume dealing charge. The punishment for volume dealing charge is higher than other offenses. It is critical that someone hires a skilled drug attorney if they are facing drug dealing offenses.
Only an experienced Maryland volume dealer lawyer will know the ins and outs of the charges, have special relations with prosecutors and judges, will understand what is expected: the protocol, the procedure, what strategies to employ. All of those types of things, a general practitioner or someone on the outside will never know and can lead to disastrous results. If you are facing volume dealer drug charges, it is important to contact an experienced drug attorney.
What is a Volume Dealer?
Volume dealers separate the street-level dealer with the higher-end suppliers. The goal of the justice system and punishment is to penalize those higher up. They take a user off the street, they are not changing anything; there are plenty of users. When they take a dealer off the street, that helps to curb the drug trade. But if law enforcement takes the supplier of the dealer off the street, that really affects the drug trade and so on. There are even kingpin-level types of charges, which they call them sometimes but the severities increase and they deal with the people who are dealing with a much larger volume and the amount that indicate they are not just someone in the street but they are supplying the actual dealers. The penalties are far higher.
There is a certain point when a drug distribution charge elevates to a volume dealing charge. It goes by weight and it also depends on what kind of substance. For marijuana, half a pound may not be very much. For heroin, half a kilo is a heck of a lot and is enough to supply a whole state and could lead to federal prosecution.
Volume dealer charges happen but they are not common because Maryland is not a big state nor is it a hub of processing. That is called a corridor state. There are dealers and distribution networks but they are not of the same caliber as New York or Florida. However, if a person is facing volumes dealing drugs, it is imperative they consult a Maryland volume dealer lawyer.
Investigation of Drugs
Volume dealer cases are investigated like anything else; the differences there being a street-level user will not know a volume dealer. They will know their street-level dealers. It is the street-level dealers who work with the police that can give them or help them identify the volume dealers sometimes.
Prosecuted by the Federal Government
There is a volume limit where the federal government will pick up the case, however, it depends on the amount and substance was found on the defendant. Federal cases all depends on the amount. Marijuana usually goes by pounds but other drugs are kilos; it is about two pounds to a kilo, give or take a little. There has been a case in which someone had 10 to 20 pounds of marijuana and it stays in state court. However, they had half a kilo or one pound of heroin and the feds pick it up. It depends on the substance itself and how it is treated by the government and the state and how bad of an epidemic there may be such as heroin; for that right now, it is very problematic – and whether the feds pick it up.
Contacting a Lawyer
When someone is found in possession with a lot of drugs, the charges become more serious. Depending on the substance and weight, it could become a volumes dealer charge and potentially turn into a federal case. It is imperative that the person speaks with a skilled criminal attorney to begin building a strong defense.
If you are facing drug charges and it could become a volumes dealer charge, you will need an experienced Maryland volume dealer lawyer. The penalties for volumes dealing is harsher than other drug offenses, and you will want a strong defense.