On Sept. 21, authorities indicted a 35-year-old man who was taken into police custody back in December 2014 for allegedly dealing drugs from his home. The man, who is from Middlesex County, faces a number of drug-related charges after officials claim they found heroin, cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his home. Law enforcement officials also believe that he was in the midst of a drug deal at the time.
According to the report, police entered the man's home in Dunnellen and discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine, about a kilogram of heroin, around $39,000, surveillance equipment, drug paraphernalia, packaging materials and scales. Authorities also apprehended nearly two kilograms of heroin from the man's residence.
The man's charges include possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute, first degree maintaining or operating a narcotics production facility, third-degree possession of heroin, fourth-degree possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cocaine and money laundering, as reported. The man's attorney stated that he intends to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of his client.
Drug trafficking is a serious criminal offense that could result in severe penalties such as enormous fines and a lengthy jail sentence. Depending on the circumstances, authorities might also confiscate a person's property. Oftentimes in these cases, prosecutors aggressively seek for a conviction and might therefore press for the maximum penalties available. However, legal representation could prove beneficial to anyone charged with a drug crime. An experienced criminal defense attorney could work to lower the defendant's charges by challenging the way in which evidence was gathered.
Source: NJ, "N.J. man accused of selling drugs out of his Middlesex County home", Samantha Marcus, Sept. 22, 2015