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Drug conspiracy cases in Chattanooga do not happen randomly. Often, there is an extensive investigation that has taken time to collect evidence against people who have been charged. With such an amount of time and resources spent on a case, the prosecution is unlikely to offer much short of a trial. To preserve your rights, work with an attorney who could strive for an ideal courtroom outcome.
Drug conspiracy charges typically involve attempts by individuals to collectively purchase or acquire narcotics, possibly without ever possessing or seeing the drugs themselves. These cases can have a lengthier investigation than drug possession cases and often involve one or more police agents gathering evidence over a period of time to identify the people involved and build the framework for the conspiracy. One recorded conversation between a few individuals is likely not enough to bring fruitful drug conspiracy charges, as Chattanooga investigations for drug conspiracy could involve a multi-step process by any number of people to acquire drugs or facilitate the distribution of drugs.
An alleged offender could easily be charged with several different drug offenses at once, including conspiracy, depending on the conduct, underlying facts, and circumstances of their case. They may have a conspiracy charge to possess one type of drug while physically possessing another, or they could be charged with conspiracy and possession of a single narcotic. The underlying facts and circumstances determined by the arresting agency’s investigation determines how a prosecutor decides to bring those charges.
In order to convict a person of drug conspiracy charges, the Chattanooga prosecution must have evidence of the person’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, proof of an agreement between two or more persons to violate a Tennessee State drug law, and evidence that each alleged conspirator agreed to the unlawful agreement. There are four main types of drug crimes in Tennessee: manufacturing a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and otherwise importing a controlled substance into the State of Tennessee.
Drug conspiracy investigations are often complex and involve multiple agencies that can be at the state and federal level. Police investigating drug conspiracy cases employ a range of tools to gather evidence, including simple surveillance by photography and video, enlisting criminal informants to attempt to purchase drugs or negotiate the acquisition of narcotics, or using large quantities of cash or real drugs themselves to make a controlled deal with the suspected individuals. Beyond those traditional tools, police may use wiretaps, information acquired from cellphone tower pings, or data from Google or Apple accounts before the suspected individuals are even arrested to ensure a thorough investigation.
Suspected individuals must be extremely careful not to make admissions or statements across any of those mediums that could be construed as a step further into a drug conspiracy. Even joking about certain acts could lead to significant punishments if they are caught in the crossfire of a drug conspiracy investigation. Phone conversations, text messages, discussing the purchase or sale of drugs, and traveling to a particular location and interacting with other individuals with large amounts of cash or drugs could be admissible evidence.
Having a lawyer who could expertly challenge the admissibility of law enforcement’s range of techniques to investigate drug conspiracies is of paramount importance in order for the accused individual to lessen the blow of drug conspiracy charges and weaken the prosecution’s case against them.
An individual should call a lawyer as soon as they are aware that there are under investigation for drug conspiracy charges. They should be prepared to discuss the known facts of the case in the safety of the lawyer’s office and how the lawyer could help them. The individual’s lawyer is one of the only people that they could rely on and who could offer them zealous representation, an aggressive defense, and complete confidentiality of any prior criminal acts.
A lawyer who is informed of the truth of the underlying facts and circumstances of the case provides the individual with the greatest chance of a successful defense and avoiding a lifetime of consequences from a drug conspiracy conviction.
When people are charged with drug conspiracy in Chattanooga, the case that develops is rarely anything short of concrete. Because of the time the state places into these charges, it could pay to have a legal representative fight to preserve your rights and vie for a favorable outcome. Call today to review your case.