16 Apr Man pleads guilty to marijuana distribution charges

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

On April 9, prosecutors announced that a 24-year-old Maryland man admitted to distributing a large amount of marijuana and laundering several million in drug proceeds. The man ultimately agreed to a plea bargain where he pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiring to commit money laundering, conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute.

Prosecutors stated that the man was given access to bank accounts were drug money was deposited. The man, along with his co-conspirators, reportedly deposited the cash in amounts of no more than $10,000 at a time to avoid raising suspicion. As part of the plea agreement, the man was required to hand over addresses where the marijuana was shipped to. Between March 2010 and April 2014, prosecutors stated that the man also sent and received packages in addition to preparing the packages for distribution.

In addition to providing the prosecution with addresses, the man also agreed to forfeit at least $2.5 million and may face a maximum prison sentence of 60 years. He was scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. It was reported that seven other individuals who were thought to be involved in the drug operation had already pleaded guilty.

When a person is facing drug charges, they may also face serious consequences that could include an extensive prison sentence, forfeiture of personal property and expensive fines. An attorney might provide a strong defense for the person by arguing that they were not involved in any alleged drug ring or that they unknowingly or unwillingly played a role. However, if the prosecution has strong evidence against the person, the attorney might negotiate a plea bargain that reduces the severity of the consequences.

Source: WUSA, “Rockville man pleads guilty to drug charges,” April 9, 2015