Baltimore Sun Crime Beat writer Peter Herman posted an interesting piece about the changing face of the Baltimore drug trade this week, pointing out several changes and trends in the city and surrounding areas. How drugs are moved, what they cost, and how they are prepared for sale is all changing.
How drugs are moved into the state and from overseas into the country is changing dramatically. Whether coming from Atlanta or Pakistan, drugs are more frequently being sent through the mail. This method allows traffickers to track their packages online and refuse delivery if a hold up flags them to possible law enforcement interference.
Drug dealers are outsourcing their work. What this means is the dealers aren’t doing the dirty work anymore. They are paying people to prep the drugs for sale. More hands in the pot but less work for the dealer to worry about.
The drug business is lucrative. There is a reason that so many people turn to dealing drugs in inner cities where demand is often higher. The reason: it pays and it pays well.
According to the Baltimore Sun article, Mayor Dixon estimated that dealers on Pennsylvania Avenue bring in over $10 million per year. True some of them get caught and some of them are too low on the totem pole to see the big dollars but the numbers are staggering.
Dealing drugs or being around large quantities of controlled substances has major risks. One wrong deal and you could be looking at a 20 years behind bars. That’s right, if you are charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I or II drug like heroin or cocaine, you will face up to 20 years in prison and fines reaching $25,000.
Luckily, most drug charges aren’t this serious. In fact, more people are charged with simple possession than with possession with intent. Regardless, if you are facing any drug charge you want an aggressive hard working defense attorney on your side. Call our attorneys today to discuss the best way to handle your case.
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