The city of Largo is cracking down on drug offenders on the streets. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office created a three month investigation for known drug dealers and buyers in the area. Operation Mid-County Clean Up marked 47 individuals suspected of distributing narcotics. Undercover officers made elusive drug deals with unsuspecting offenders around Churchill Mobile Home Park.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office considers the operation a success with 30 alleged drug dealers and buyers arrested. The sheriff's office setup a make shift command post in a shopping center parking lot to detain the accused before transporting them to the Pinellas County Jail. Patrol deputies will keep an eye out for the remaining 17 suspects still at large.
All Florida drug charges are not created equally. The possible punishments will vary based upon the type of drug in possession, the quantity of the drug in possession and the intent in which to use the drug. An individual charged with possession of under 20 grams of marijuana will face a misdemeanor charge in Court. This is compared to a dealer facing a first degree felony after accusations of trafficking 28 grams or more of cocaine with the intention to distribute.
Depending on the level of the drug crime, will also determine if Florida requires a mandatory minimum sentence. The individual dealing cocaine previously mentioned will face a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison before any talk of release. Florida statute requires offenders of certain crimes serve a minimum sentence before any release date. Often times, requesting rehabilitation assistance from the Court will lighten or extinguish any possible punishment for drug crimes.
I am an experienced Tampa drug crime attorney. My firm has over 100 years of combined legal experience and has handled countless Tampa criminal cases. I understand that facing a criminal charge is a scary circumstance. You need a knowledgeable attorney, who is unafraid to challenge the evidence against you, assist with possible rehabilitation and fight for you in Court. I know that dealing with a drug charge is a stressful experience, however, remember that you are innocent until proven guilty in a Court of law.
