Detroit Drug Trafficking Lawyer
Drug trafficking charges in Michigan are serious felony offenses. If you are convicted of a charge of manufacturing, delivering, creating, or possessing a controlled substance with the intent to traffic in it, the penalties are severe, and can include up to life in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, depending on the type and amount of drugs involved.
While the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence and an expensive fine is stressful enough, a drug trafficking conviction can negatively affect your life in many other ways — and will stain your life for years or decades to come, even after you’ve served your sentence. The potential consequences of a drug trafficking conviction can include:
- A permanent criminal record
- The stigma of being a drug felon
- Loss of your driver’s license, even if your drug trafficking conviction didn’t involve driving
- Loss of your job or being denied employment
- Being denied rental housing
- Suspension or revocation of a professional license and loss of your career as a teacher, lawyer, pharmacist, nurse, doctor, or other licensed professional
- Loss of federal financial aid, such as grants or student loans, to pay for college
- Ineligibility for an immigration visa, work permit, or citizenship, and the potential for deportation if you’re not an American citizen
- Loss of custody of your children
However, you may have a chance at fighting the charge and avoiding some of these consequences with the help of an experienced Detroit drug trafficking lawyer. A good criminal defense lawyer can step in and represent you in any phase of the process — from the initial investigation by police to your trial in a Michigan courtroom. A lawyer can help protect your rights as you face this serious and distressing charge, and help protect your future.
What is Drug Trafficking?
Drug trafficking in Michigan encompasses several different actions. Under Section 333.7401 of the Michigan Public Health Code, you can be charged with a crime if you are suspected of doing any of the following in relation to a controlled substance:
- Manufacture
- Create
- Deliver
- Possess with the intent to manufacture, create, or deliver
You also may be charged with drug manufacturing under Section 333.7401c of the Michigan Public Health Code when you:
- Own, possess, or use a vehicle, building, structure, or land you know is being used to manufacture drugs, such as a trailer used to manufacture meth
- Own or possess chemicals or lab equipment you know is being used to manufacture drugs
- Provide chemicals or lab equipment to someone else when you know they’ll be used to manufacture drugs
A controlled substance could include any number of drugs, either illicit street drugs or legal prescription drugs when they’re being trafficked by unauthorized people and without valid prescriptions. Some common drugs involved in drug trafficking charges include:
