Three men and a woman are facing a variety of drug and drug-related charges following a raid on a strip club in Fayetteville conducted by Alcohol Law Enforcement, a branch of North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigations. The raid was conducted at a club on Bragg Boulevard on Dec. 16. A man and several vehicles had been shot in the parking lot of the strip club a week before.
During the raid, agents reported seizing a firearm, cocaine, opiates, alcohol and money. Among those taken into custody were a 33-year-old man and a 26-year-old club employee on charges of drug trafficking and possessing drug paraphernalia; the 40-year-old manager of the club for possessing and selling alcohol without required licensing; and a 27-year-old female for outstanding warrants on previous alcohol and drug offenses.
According to authorities, the ALE launched its investigation after receiving information indicating that illegal activities were taking place inside the club. Officials confirmed that the establishment was operating illegally and that the investigation is ongoing with possible additional arrests.
Advancing a defense against drug charges could be more challenging when the defendant has a previous history of drug-related convictions. A defense may be further complicated when the new charges arise from activity in a legally-questionable environment where there are moral character and judgment concerns. With the help of an attorney, a defendant may be able to combat these questions by getting mitigating evidence such as character witness statements and evidence of community service into the court’s record. The lawyer may also be able to use the mitigating evidence to bargain with the prosecutor in an effort to have the charges reduced or completely disposed of before the case heads to trial.