A 30-year-old New York man was charged with drug and weapons offenses on Dec. 14 for allegedly trafficking crystal meth. He was reportedly taken into custody following the execution of search warrant at a residence located in the 400 block of Cass Hill Road in Tioga County.
During the execution of the search warrant, authorities reportedly recovered about 3 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Additionally, they found 3 pounds of marijuana as well as hydromorphone pills and hydrocodone pills. About $13,300 in cash, two cell phones and other drug paraphernalia were also recovered. In addition to the drugs, police seized multiple guns and ammunition, including an AK-47, loaded .45-caliber pistol and loaded Cobra pistol.
The man was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of marijuana and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in addition to third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
In the state of New York, drug crimes are taken very seriously. As a result, felony and misdemeanor drug charges can carry steep legal penalties, which may include lengthy prison sentences, fines and probation. When a person is charged, authorities may use a variety of evidence to strengthen the case, even if that evidence is circumstantial or loosely associated with the accused person.
A criminal law attorney may defend an alleged offender against charges stemming from drug crimes by focusing on a defense that could poke holes in the prosecution’s case. In some cases, for example, the attorney could use a variety of techniques to demonstrate how some evidence does not match or support the allegations. Furthermore, there may be circumstances where authorities did not follow proper procedure, potentially allowing the attorney to request that the evidence not be used in court.
