Until recently, heroin was thought of as a 1970s drug and had taken a back seat to the more popular drugs such as crack cocaine in the 80’s and cocaine and oxycotin in the 90’s. In the recent decade crystal meth, often called meth or ice, and PCP had gained in popularity. Now heroin seems to have made a major comeback. Our Westchester criminal defense lawyers are handing more and more heroin cases in Westchester County, especially in Port Chester and New Rochelle. Heroin arrests have even been popping up in the more suburban and even rural towns in Westchester County.
While heroin was always in New York City, the volume seems to have increased. Just this week, in Brooklyn, numerous arrests were made in a Brooklyn Heroin ring that was doing one point five million dollars in volume per year. Among the arrests was a Manhattan based drug counselor, which is certainly ironic. In total, twenty five separate individuals are being charged in a 368 State Court indictment which arises out the family run heroin trafficking ring. Our Manhattan criminal defense lawyers have handled numerous felony drug cases and know that especially a lot of the smaller players in these cases are addicts that get caught up just trying to feed their own habits. These smaller players often face sentences that are disproportionate to their crimes and really they need help, not incarceration. Our attorneys have successfully got reductions by getting clients into rehab and are strong proponents of the new drug courts and judicial diversion programs that give people a second chance.
Penalties for heroin depend on the amount of heroin a person is caught with. Small amounts of heroin are punishable as a misdemeanor,larger amounts of heroin or several packages of heroin, which appear to be packaged for sale are usually charged as felonies. Regardless of the level of the charge, our experienced attorneys are here to help.
