On Feb. 14, North Carolina authorities reportedly took six people into custody after they were accused of distributing approximately 2,200 pounds of marijuana. The six people were identified as a 25-year-old man, two 28-year-old men, a 43-year-old woman, a 44-year-old man and a 67-year-old man. All six individuals were charged with conspiring to traffic drugs.
Authorities stated that the received a tip about a large shipment of marijuana that was allegedly in the Asheville area. At about 6:30 p.m., the authorities began a raid on a home that was located in the 200 block of McKinnish Cove Road. It ended at about 2 a.m. the next day. Investigators stated that the amount of marijuana that was recovered had an estimated street value of about $3 million.
It was learned that only two of the six people who were taken into custody actually lived at the home, which they had been renting for about eight years. In addition to the marijuana, it was reported that a number of other items, including other controlled substances, were also taken from the home.
Drug charges can have serious consequences if a person is convicted. For example, a person can potentially face a jail sentence, fines and other consequences. A criminal defense attorney may look for problems in the prosecution’s case in order to potentially get the charges reduced, therefore decreasing the severity of the consequences, or seek to have the charges dismissed altogether. For example, the evidence may not match the prosecution’s allegations. The attorney may also potentially argue that the defendant was not in possession of drugs or was unaware that the drugs were even in the home.
Source: WLOS, “6 people accused of trafficking over 2,000 lbs of marijuana in Asheville“, Justin Hinton, Feb. 15, 2017