It’s widely known that the distribution of drugs is illegal in New Jersey and across the United States, and those who are caught selling drugs may face very serious legal charges. However, there are also those who discuss the prospect and yet never actually make a sale.
What you need to know is that you could still face charges if you’re accused of being involved in a conspiracy to distribute drugs. You don’t necessarily have to distribute them in order to be charged. You simply have to make the plan to do so and then take some sort of action that advances that plan. This does not mean completing a final sale but could be something much more simple.
For example, maybe you needed a vehicle to transport illegal drugs. If you made an agreement to pick them up and then rented the vehicle to go to that location, you may already have put yourself in jeopardy of facing conspiracy charges, even if you never actually bought the drugs or distributed them to anyone else.
This can still be a felony
Conspiracy charges may be different than drug trafficking charges, but they can still be very serious. For example, two men were arrested last year with 100g of fentanyl and 1kg of cocaine. They had conspired to distribute it, according to documents released by the Department of Justice, and then driven to a location where the exchange would happen. They were arrested before that could take place, but they still faced charges for conspiring to distribute and process illegal drugs with this intention.
You may be surprised to find yourself facing charges for planning a crime that you never actually committed, but it’s important to know what legal steps to take at this time.