Articles Posted in Drug Crimes

What is Entrapment?

Entrapment Defense

Entrapment is a defense that can be raised in criminal cases where a criminal defendant was persuaded by law enforcement officers to commit the crime he or she is charged with. In order for an entrapment defense to work, the defendant must not have had any previous intention or be predisposed to commit the crime, and must only have done so at the encouragement of law enforcement or some other government officer (local or state police, undercover agents, federal agents, etc.). Continue Reading

You Need a Lawyer for a Drug Possession Case

Drug possession is one of the most common criminal charges in Massachusetts. Thousands of arrests are made throughout the state yearly for possession of controlled substances. Unfortunately many people are now aware of the consequences of a conviction for this offense. They think that walking out of the courthouse is a win and that they are free and clear. Young people, in particular college students try to handle these cases themselves simply to avoid having their parents find out that they have been charged with a crime. This post examines some of the consequences of having a drug conviction and the likely outcome of these cases if you are properly represented. The bottom line is that you need a lawyer for a drug possession case. Continue Reading

Controlled Substances

The Boston Globe recently reported a story about a settlement that Massachusetts General Hospital will pay to the federal government after allegations that the hospital’s lax internal controls over employee access to controlled substances resulted in the theft of thousands of prescription pain medication pills. Drug diversion, which is the use of controlled substances for nonmedical purposes, was alleged against the hospital after it was discovered that a handful of nurse employees were stealing oxycodone and other painkillers over a period of three and a half years, spanning from October of 2011 until April of 2015. Continue Reading

Convicted Drug Offenders

The Massachusetts Senate recently unanimously approved a bill that is geared towards allowing convicted drug offenders to keep their driver’s licenses. The push behind the new bill is to address the issue of how difficult it is for convicted drug offenders to get a job with a criminal record, let alone how difficult it is to get to work without a driver’s license. This tough-on-crime approach is outdated and makes things considerably more difficult for those who have drug convictions. A recent blog post concerning the current state of the law can be found here.  Continue Reading

Drugs Found in Hidden Compartment

It is very common for me to represent someone pulled over for a motor vehicle infraction and ultimately charged with drug trafficking. I am convinced that most of these cases originate from a hunch; i.e. person of color driving a car in a predominantly white neighborhood. Or, they are Hispanic and Black people stopped at the Massachusetts border simply because they are of color. The scenario is similar. Pull them over and start searching the car without probable cause. A repetition of this pattern is bound to bear results. And guess what? On some occasions drugs are found in a hidden compartment in the car. No matter who hires me, the driver or one of the passengers, I get the same question: is this case provable? Continue Reading

Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking Defense Attorney Fighting Racial Profiling

Anyone coming into Massachusetts from the New York area and heading into eastern Massachusetts is probably going to use Route 84 with the intention of getting on the Massachusetts Turnpike. A significant number of the people using this route find themselves pulled over just after entering Massachusetts. Many of them are astounded at their introduction to this state. They get pulled over. They are asked for their license and registration. They are detained at the point of the stop of an inordinate period of time. Then, without explanation they are forced to get out of their car. They are searched. The car is searched. And, if there are illicit substances in the car or on their person they get charged. Continue Reading

Massachusetts Drug Offense Conviction

One of the lesser known but significantly impactful consequences of a Massachusetts drug offense conviction is that you will lose your driver’s license. Under 540 CMR 20.03, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles will suspend your driving abilities when you violate the Controlled Substance Law of the Commonwealth (M.G.L. c. 94C) or the controlled substance laws of any other state or country. Driver’s licenses can be suspended for one to five years depending on the drug conviction. Continue Reading

Heroin Trafficking Defense Attorney

Fentanyl is an opioid used for pain management therapies that has become a popular street drug in recent years. It is classified as a Class B controlled substance under Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 94C, Section 31. It is used to cut heroin, cocaine, and other drugs, often without the knowledge of the person taking the drugs. Fentanyl is a powerful drug that increases the potency of heroin and other drugs when mixed with them. Heroin overdose deaths in Massachusetts have been on the rise for many years, and increasingly, toxicology investigations find that the fentanyl being mixed with the heroin is contributing to these deaths. Continue Reading

Heroin Trafficking

At the end of June, police stumbled onto evidence of heroin trafficking activity while investigating a home invasion, which lead to the discovery of one of the largest drug crimes ever in New England. WMUR9.com News reports that more than $2.2 million dollars worth of heroin cut with fentanyl (a highly potent opioid) was recovered along with over $200,000 in cash. Continue Reading

Massachusetts Crime Lab Wrongdoing

On the heels of the Annie Dookhan investigation, it came to light that there was misconduct on the part of another state chemical analysis lab technician at a drug crime lab in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was discovered that state chemist, Sonja Farak, had tampered with drug evidence samples she analyzed in 2013. Farak, who was struggling with a drug addiction, had removed cocaine from some drug evidence samples that had been submitted to the lab for testing. When the misconduct was discovered, and Farak was charged for her crimes, the Commonwealth conducted an investigation; however, there is a dispute over whether the Commonwealth made a sufficient effort to uncover just how long Farak had been conducting her lab work in this way, and how many potential drug cases were impacted by her actions. Once again Massachusetts crime lab wrongdoing issues surfaced.  Continue Reading