Two recent cases in the news highlight how easy it is for family members to all get charged with drug crimes, such as drug transportation.
In one case, five family members were among those arrested as part of an alleged meth trafficking ring; the FBI even called their sting "Operation All in the Family."
In another case reported in the LA Times, two police officers believed to be related to each other are now implicated in drug crimes that include cocaine trafficking.
When reading the details of these cases, you might say to yourself that the suspects got arrested because police believed that they played an important and active role in the crimes. But it doesn't take active or even primary involvement in drug crimes to get swept up in a wave of arrests or face charges in connection to activities perpetrated by family or close friends.
For example, you might get arrested after any of the following actions:
- Transporting drugs (even unknowingly), after a family member asks you to take a suitcase with you or some other package from one location to another.
- Hiding information from the police or lying to them in regards to a family member's drug activities.
- Having your home get used as a base of operations for drug crimes, again not necessarily with your knowledge. Family members might store paraphernalia or illegal drugs in your garage or use your computer for illegal or suspicious communications and transactions.
- Benefiting from drug activities perpetrated by a gang - and gang members might include your family members.
Even if you aren't a primary operator in a drug crime, you can face serious charges, including years in prison and enormous fines. Your association with family members who are active perpetrators in a crime could land you in hot water as well.
Be sure to contact a reputable and experienced attorney to defend you and fight for the best possible outcome in the Riverside County criminal justice system. Our law office is located near the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, California and work with people in the Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Menifee, Perris, Banning, Hemet, Corona and Riverside areas.