Experienced Drug Trafficking Attorney in Bowling Green, Kentucky
In Need of a Drug Trafficking Lawyer in Bowling Green, Kentucky?
John Caudill Attorney at Law represents clients throughout Kentucky who have been charged with drug trafficking crimes.
Whether this is your first arrest for drug trafficking, or a subsequent arrest for the same charge, this is a serious offense — often charged at both the state and federal levels — that will require the expertise of a veteran Bowling Green and Owensboro drug crimes lawyer to pursue the best outcome for your unique circumstances.
If you are facing drug crime charges in Kentucky, you must act quickly to protect yourself from intimidation by law enforcement and prosecutors. You have rights and are entitled to an aggressive defense strategy that is customized to meet your needs. Let’s get started.
What is Considered Drug Trafficking in Kentucky?
Drug trafficking may involve the sale, transfer, delivery, or possession of Controlled Substances with the intent to distribute them.
Depending on the type of drug, the amount involved, the area in which the drugs were intended to be distributed, and to who the drugs were being sold, among other possible aggravating factors, drug trafficking charges are almost always charged as felonies in Kentucky.
Our Owensboro and Bowling Green drug trafficking defense attorney has extensive trial experience in both federal and Kentucky state courts involving:
- Crack Cocaine and Powder Cocaine
- Fentanyl
- Hallucinogens
- Heroin
- Marijuana
- MDMA and GHB
- Methamphetamine
- Opioids
When the drugs cross state lines, drug trafficking can be charged as a federal crime, significantly increasing the penalties that will be pursued by a U.S. attorney.
Our Warren County drug trafficking lawyer, John Caudill, is the only former Federal Prosecutor in Western and South-Central Kentucky.
Over the past 30 years, John has prosecuted and defended hundreds of people during both complex state and federal criminal cases that required a precise legal strategy — from preparation to trial — to pursue and secure real results for our clients.
Contact our experienced drug crimes attorney in Bowling Green today to discuss your important case, so you can begin making informed decisions about your future.
What are the Penalties for Drug Trafficking in Kentucky?
The type(s) and amount(s) of the drug(s) found in your possession will dictate the type of charge(s) you will face, including any potential penalties.
For instance, first-degree trafficking is a Class C felony, for a first offense, punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison for possessing:
- Four (4) grams or more of cocaine.
- Two (2) grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Ten (10) or more dosage units of a controlled substance that is classified in Schedules I or II and is a narcotic drug, or a controlled substance analogue.
- Any quantity of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, or fentanyl derivatives; lysergic acid diethylamide; phencyclidine; gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), including its salts, isomers, salts of isomers, and analogues; or flunitrazepam, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers; or
- Any quantity of a controlled substance specified in this subsection in an amount less than the amounts specified in those paragraphs.
Federal drug trafficking penalties increase substantially, and should never be faced without a skilled Kentucky federal drug crime defense attorney. We can help you understand your legal rights and options to design the best strategy for your unique drug crime defense.
Are There Enhanced Prison Sentences for Drug Trafficking Crimes in Kentucky?
Two statutory sentencing provisions can dramatically increase a drug defendant’s sentence. Under 21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1) prior felony drug convictions can dramatically increase a mandatory minimum drug sentence. Under 18 U.S.C. §924(c) prosecutors can file charges that dramatically increase a defendant’s sentence if a gun was involved in the drug offense.
Sentencing enhancements based on prior drug convictions are triggered when prosecutors file prior felony information with the court. If a prosecutor notifies the court of one prior conviction, the defendant’s sentence will be doubled. If the prosecutor decides to notify the court of two prior convictions for a defendant facing a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence on the current offense, the sentence increases to life—and there is no parole in the federal system.
If a weapon was involved in a drug offense, the specter of consecutive sentences under 18 U.S.C §924(c) is a likely outcome. The first §924(c) conviction imposes a mandatory five-year sentence consecutive to the sentence imposed for the underlying drug crime. Second and subsequent convictions each carry 25-year consecutive sentences — resulting in long sentences for drug defendants.
As an example, a defendant with no criminal history can be sentenced to 40 years after conviction of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and two §924(c) counts based on possessing, but not using, guns in connection with drug offenses. That is, 30 years of the 40-year sentence would be on gun counts. It is up to prosecutors whether to pursue these increased penalties against an eligible defendant. If they do and the defendant is convicted, the penalties are mandatory, and judges must impose them. Prosecutors can double a sentence by filing a prior felony §851 information.
As a federal prosecutor, John Caudill handled dozens of drug trafficking cases involving the use or possession of a firearm in relation to a drug crime. He has the knowledge and experience to handle your case if you are charged with these types of drug crimes in Kentucky.
Possession of a handgun in relation to a drug trafficking crime is punishable by five (5) years in prison in addition to the time for the underlying drug offense. If you’ve been convicted of two or more prior crimes of violence or drug trafficking crimes and found in possession of a firearm, you could be charged with being an armed career criminal and subject to mandatory minimum sentences of at least ten (10) years in prison.
Federal firearms offenses can also carry substantial prison sentences. If you are under investigation by the F.B.I., A.T.F., or D.E.A. for the illegal possession of a firearm or drug trafficking offense, contact our skilled state and federal criminal defense lawyer in Kentucky today for help.
Why Partner with the John Caudill Drug Crimes Attorney in Bowling Green, Kentucky?
Our trusted Bowling Green drug trafficking attorney, John Caudill, has spent over 30 years protecting the rights of individuals throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Our law firm represents individuals facing complex legal cases where an exceptional legal defense strategy can mean the difference between incarceration and freedom.
Whether your arrest was the result of overly aggressive law enforcement officers, if your charges have been unnecessarily increased in number or severity by the prosecutor’s office, if you are seeking the best outcome for a crime that you would have never committed if given a second chance, or a crime that is backed by significant prosecutorial evidence, your case is important — to you, and us.
Let us help you pursue the best outcome, just as we have for hundreds of clients before you.
Contact Our Dedicated Drug Trafficking Lawyer in Bowling Green, Kentucky Today
John Caudill Attorney at Law offers aggressive defense strategies and trusted legal representation to individuals throughout the Bowling Green area and surrounding communities, including Owensboro, Franklin, Scottsville, Hartford, and Morgantown.
Our law firm has a stellar reputation for pressing the prosecution to prove our clients are guilty by forcing them to prepare for a trial. This means we are not swayed by potential plea bargains, or negotiations we know are not in our clients’ best interests.
If you have been arrested and charged with a drug crime in Kentucky, contact our trusted drug trafficking attorney in Warren County today by calling (270) 925-0447 or contacting us online.
We are here to fight for your rights and your freedom. Let’s get started.
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