Atlanta criminal lawyer Page Pate is hired to represent pilot falsely accused in major drug conspiracy in Peachtree City, Georgia
Our firm was recently retained to represent the owner of a small charter plane business indicted by federal authorities in an alleged drug conspiracy involving 170 kilograms of cocaine that was being brought to the Atlanta area by two Mexican nationals.
This is a serious charge. Under federal law, conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine is punishable by 10 years to life in prison. In addition, any property which facilitates or is derived from the drug offense may be seized and forfeited. In this case, federal agents are attempting to forfeit Fontana’s Cessna despite his lack of involvement or knowledge in any drug conspiracy.
This case is a stark reminder of the wide sweeping net that authorities cast in drug conspiracy cases. In our experience, innocent people with little to no information of a conspiracy are often treated just as harshly as those who orchestrated it. A good criminal defense attorney will work with prosecutors and law enforcement in an effort to show that their client had no involvement in any alleged conspiracy.
A defense attorney will also analyze every step of the police investigation to determine if police acted lawfully. This includes reviewing police and witness statements, obtaining police video and audio recordings, examining technology used by officers for defects such as laser, radar, dog sniffs or taps, and determining if all search warrants for vehicles, homes or telephones were properly obtained.
We certainly intend to do these things on behalf of our client in this case and we look forward to his acquittal at trial, if he is not dismissed from this case before then.
Pate & Brody is an accomplished Georgia law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon and Madison. Our lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice for people charged with serious crimes. We have successfully represented clients facing serious federal criminal charges and state criminal charges in courts across Georgia. Our lawyers have been recognized on the list of Georgia's "Super Lawyers", and included among Georgia's "Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine. Page Pate was recently the Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association.
