Warren County Drug Charge Defense Lawyers
Former Drug Crime Prosecutors now fighting for you in Belvidere, NJ
Leader of a Drug Trafficking Network
Leading a drug network in Sussex or Warren County, New Jersey is a first degree crime including in Sparta, Belvidere, Newton, and Phillipsburg. According to New Jersey’s Criminal Code, a person is a leader of a narcotics trafficking network if he conspires with two or more other persons in a scheme or course of conduct to unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, bring into or transport in New Jersey methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide, phencyclidine, gamma hydroxybutyrate, flunitrazepam or any controlled dangerous substance classified in Schedule I or II, or any controlled substance analog thereof as a financier, or as an organizer, supervisor or manager of at least one other person. The statute also defines “financier” as a person who, with the intent to derive a profit, provides money or credit or other thing of value in order to purchase a controlled dangerous substance or an immediate precursor, or otherwise to finance the operations of a drug trafficking network. If you are charged with leading a narcotics trafficking network in Sussex or Warren County, you are facing serious consequences and you should contact the experienced criminal defense team at the Tormey Law Firm now at 973-755-1695.
Leader of a Drug Network – N.J.S.A. 2C:35-3
According to N.J.S.A. 2C:35-3, leading a drug network imposes twenty-five year prison sentence, without parole eligibility. Additionally, notwithstanding the usual penalties set forth in the New Jersey Criminal Code, the court may also impose a fine not to exceed $750,000.00 or five times the street value of the controlled dangerous substance, controlled substance analog, gamma hydroxybutyrate or flunitrazepam involved, whichever is greater. Moreover, a conviction of leader of narcotics trafficking network does not merge with the conviction for any offense which is the object of the conspiracy and the statute does not preclude or limit the prosecution or conviction of any person for conspiracy or conviction for or operating a CDS production facility, manufacturing, distributing or dispensing, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, strict liability for drug induced death, racketeering activities, or leader of organized crime.
The leader of a drug network law also sets forth that it shall not be necessary for the State to prove that any intended profit was actually realized by the alleged leader of the network. Additionally, the trier of fact is permitted to infer that a particular scheme or course of conduct was undertaken for profit from all of the underlying circumstances, including but not limited to the number of persons involved in the scheme or course of conduct, the actor’s net worth and his expenditures in relation to his legitimate sources of income, the amount or purity of the specified controlled dangerous substance, controlled substance analog, gamma hydroxybutyrate or flunitrazepam involved, or the amount of cash or currency involved.
Contact our Warren County Drug Charge Lawyers Now
The bottom line is that the criminal code makes every effort to severely punish the leaders of narcotics networks – the penalties are enhanced and lesser included crimes do not merge. In other words, the prison sentence and fines for leading a drug network will be imposed solely and separately from any other associated offenses. If you have been charged with leading a drug network in Sussex or Warren County, the criminal defense lawyers at the Tormey Law Firm who have handled countless drug cases in Sussex and Warren County are ready to fight for your defense. Contact our offices now for a free initial consultation at 973-755-1695.
