08 Apr Former Maryland councilman pleads guilty to drug charge

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Drug Charges on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.

On March 23, a former Harford County councilman pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession with the intent to distribute. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance by distributing. He will spend up to 11 months in jail.

A Harford County grand jury indicted the defendant in November 2014 after a police investigation uncovered two pounds of marijuana divided into seven packages in a Darlington home in September of that year. Prosecutors said the residence was used by the defendant to conceal his operation of a drug distribution business.

The defendant was sentenced to five years in jail, but a Harford County Circuit Court judge suspended all but 11 months of his term. He will begin serving his sentence on April 23 and will be able to continue working at a Baltimore County restaurant as part of a work release program. The defendant served on the Harford County Council for eight years. He was also a member of the Darlington Community Council.

Those facing drug charges in Maryland could face serious consequences, including jail time and fines, if they are convicted. In some circumstances, they could also lose their status in the community and future employment opportunities. However, a criminal defense attorney may be able to mitigate some or all of the charges by closely scrutinizing the facts of the case. For example, if police exceeded their authority during the search and seizure process, any evidence uncovered could be deemed inadmissible. In some cases, an attorney will consider the possibility of entering into an agreement with the prosecutor that would involve a plea of guilty to a lesser offense in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges .

Source: The Baltimore Sun, “Former Harford councilman to serve 11 months for drug possession conviction,” Erika Butler, March 31, 2015