Articles Posted in Controlled Substances

Thousands of domestic and international travelers pass through John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City every day. It should be unsurprising, then, that every day, Port Authority Police officers arrest a few travelers and give them Desk Appearance Tickets. A Desk Appearance Ticket is a summons given to a person who has been arrested…

One of the most serious charges in New York state criminal law is Operating as a Major Trafficker, in violation of Penal Law 220.77. That charge makes it a Class A-I felony to traffic in controlled substances worth $75,000.00 or more. This can be accomplished in three different ways:1. act[] as a director of a…

New York City is one of the best cities in the world to visit and it attracts tourists from all over the world. Unfortunately, a few of them are arrested every day at the New York City airports: LaGuardia and JFK (John F. Kennedy). Most of them receive Desk Appearance Tickets for misdemeanor offenses. These…

Last week, criminal defense attorney Matthew Galluzzo successfully persuaded a federal judge in Manhattan to sentence his client to a very favorable sentence. The client was guilty of selling fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a customer. Though there was no mandatory minimum for this offense, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines recommended a sentence…

Most defendants charged with narcotics trafficking in federal court are charged with violations of 21 U.S.C. Section 841 and 846. The potential penalties for those offenses generally depend upon the type of narcotic at issue, the quantity trafficked, and whether anyone died as a result of consuming those narcotics. A similar federal statute relates to…

Recently, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn brought an indictment against eight individuals – including a medical doctor, three pharmacists, and several members of the doctor’s staff – for their alleged operation of a $24 million oxycodone ring that illegally diverted over 1.2 million pills. Prosecutors are motivated to bring these sorts of criminal charges because of…

Crystal Methamphetamine Defense Attorney Crystal methamphetamine is a frequent target of law enforcement in New York. The simple possession of a small (personal use) quantity is typically prosecuted in state court as a misdemeanor pursuant to NY Penal Law Section 220.03. The possession or trafficking of very large quantities of crystal methamphetamine is oftentimes prosecuted…

Federal prosecutors sometimes have a powerful statute to use against drug sellers whose products cause fatal overdoses. Specifically, 21 U.S.C. Section 841 – the most common federal narcotics distribution charge – includes enhanced penalties for situations in which the defendants have sold or distributed narcotics that caused overdose deaths. A charge with no mandatory minimum…

On June 28, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced an indictment charging sixteen individuals with a variety of federal crimes relating to the distribution of narcotics and the possession of firearms. The charges are extremely serious and carry lengthy potential jail sentences. The indictment charges the following individuals: LUIS FELICIANO, a.k.a. “Louminaty,”…

Platinum selling rap artist Fetty Wap (real name Willie Junior Maxwell II) was arrested and arraigned on October 29 pursuant to a federal indictment charging him and five other men with Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics (the other five men were also charged with Use of Firearms in Connection with a Drug Crime). The charges are…