Two people in New Jersey were taken into police custody on Oct. 5 when authorities concluded a two-month long investigation into alleged cocaine activities. The Mercer County Narcotics Task Force was conducting surveillance at about 5:25 p.m. when they stopped a 2015 Subaru Forrester. The 46-year-old female driver of the vehicle was allegedly found to be in possession of three packages of cocaine.
Following the traffic stop, authorities executed search warrants at a 30-year-old man's apartment. The man was taken into custody, and officers seized 100 grams of powdered cocaine from his apartment. A bulletproof vest, a digital scale, packaging materials, $2,156 in cash and some marijuana was also seized from the man's apartment. According to police, the value of the cocaine that was seized is $10,000.
The accused woman was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and released on her own recognizance. The accused man was handed charges for possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. He was given the option of posting $150,000 cash or bond.
When a task force investigates a person or group of people for alleged drug activities, the officers involved with the investigation might make legal mistakes. After charges are laid against an individual, a criminal defense attorney may be able to find evidence of unlawful actions taken by investigators and then use this evidence to break down the prosecution's case. If the search that led to the seizure of the drugs is found to be unlawful, the prosecution may not have a strong enough case to proceed to trial.
Source: FOX29, "Two charged in New Jersey $10,000 drug bust," Ronald Zamor, Oct. 8, 2015