Drug Offenses
Georgia drug crimes include trafficking, conspiracy, distribution, possession and possession with intent. All these offenses carry the possibility of prison time, and trafficking charges have mandatory minimum sentences up to 25 years in prison with no possibility of probation.
Our criminal defense lawyers have been extraordinarily successful in defending serious drug crimes in all Georgia federal and state courts. We have won Georgia drug cases by challenging illegal searches, both before trial and on appeal, and by winning drug trials in front of juries across the state. We have also helped clients reverse serious drug convictions after other law firms lost the case at trial. In many of those cases, we saved our clients from decades in prison.
Below are some of our notes on recent cases and trends in Georgia drug investigations, trials and appeals.
Police Officers arrested on Federal Charges in Atlanta Corruption Sting
Federal authorities arrested ten metro-area law enforcement officers on Tuesday in the largest police corruption sting in recent memory. The officers were from the DeKalb County Police Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Forest Park, Atlanta Police Department, Stone Mounting, and MARTA. The highest rank of those arrested was sergeant. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta revealed that the case against the officers began during a street gang investigation by the ATF. Authorities allege that the officers in question were ...
Metro Atlanta Physicians Facing Charges of Operating Alleged “Pill Mills”
This week, two physicians turned themselves in to federal authorities on charges stemming from an alleged drug distribution conspiracy. Federal prosecutors claim that the two men, Dr. William Richardson and Dr. Nevorn Askari, were involved in a conspiracy to distribute painkillers in metro Atlanta “pill mills.” The charges against the men include both conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs and money laundering. The two men were released on their own recognizance while they await trial, though the magistrate judge who ...
Wiretaps Now More Frequently Used in Georgia Criminal Investigations
State and federal investigations have relied on wiretaps and other means of intercepting communications for decades. A large body of law has developed controlling the procedures that law enforcement officers must use before, during, and after tapping phone and other electronic communications. Federal statutes have very detailed requirements that law enforcement must follow and states have passed their own laws adopting or expanding those protections. And of course, the U.S. Constitution’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures provides an ultimate ...
Federal Raid on Alleged “Pill Mill” Operations in Atlanta
Last night, federal law enforcement agents raided an Atlanta pain clinic and pharmacy allegedly linked to suspected “pill mills”. The clinics were located in southeast Atlanta and in Tyrone. Additionally, a pharmacy and two personal residences were part of the raid. As with other "pill mill" raids, the agents gathered medical records and other documents to determine if criminal charges will be brought. We have seen a major initiative from the Department of Justice targeted against pain clinics and ...
