21 Aug Maryland drug offenses: $550,000 forfeited as part of plea deal

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Drug Charges on Wednesday, August 21, 2013.

A Maryland man was stopped by police back in February and was allegedly carrying a small bag containing what was believed to be marijuana. Police obtained search warrants for all of the man’s property and allegedly found other drugs in various quantities. The man was arrested on drug offenses as a result of those searches.

Officers found what was believed to be at least one kilogram of cocaine and seven pounds of a substance believed to be marijuana along with a substantial amount of cash. Due to the significant amount of drugs and money police and prosecutors believe belonged to the accused man, longer prison terms were expected if the man was convicted of all of the charges against him. Instead, the man agreed to take a plea bargain that would still require him to serve a significant amount of time in prison, but would allow him to be released much sooner.

As part of his plea bargain, the man is pleading guilty to possessing cocaine with the intent of selling it. He agreed to a ten year prison sentence with an additional 10 years suspended. He will also serve three years of supervised probation once he is released. In addition, he will be forfeiting $548,452.73 in cash seized by police.

When faced with the possibility of a significant time in prison for drug offenses, this Maryland man concluded that it was in his best interest to take a plea agreement. There are times when going to trial is not the best path for someone accused of a crime. Faced with overwhelming evidence, it could be better to take a plea bargain that guarantees a maximum penalty than to roll the dice and face an even stiffer penalty. Each person accused of a crime will have to make this choice based on individual circumstances.

Source: delmarvanow.com, “Wicomico man forfeits $550k seized in drug investigation,” Vanessa Junkin, Aug. 15, 2013