Being pulled over by police for a traffic offense can be annoying at best and nerve-wracking at worst. One thing police may do at a traffic stop is perform a search of a vehicle if they have probable cause to believe a crime is being committed. Such searches can lead to criminal charges, as one incident shows.
A Leesburg resident is facing criminal charges after being accused of drug trafficking after an initial traffic stop. The 23-year-old man was pulled over by an officer for a traffic violation. During the course of the traffic stop, the officer performed a search of the man’s vehicle and discovered what is alleged to be over 70 pounds of cannabis.
Now, the man has been charged with cannabis trafficking. This crime is considered to be a felony in Tennessee. It carries with it a mandatory prison sentence if there is a conviction. The man is also facing charges of felony manufacture or deliver of over 5,000 grams of cannabis and felony possession of over 5,000 grams of cannabis. If convicted on these charges the man could face as many as 30 years in prison.
Drug possession charges and drug trafficking charges are incredibly serious. When they follow a traffic stop, the accused may wonder whether the search of their vehicle was lawful. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to develop a criminal defense strategy that calls into question the legality of the search. If the search is found to be unlawful, evidence obtained in the search cannot be used against the accused. When a person is facing drug charges, it is imperative that they develop a strong criminal defense strategy. Doing so could lead to the charges against them being reduced or dropped altogether.
Source: thexradio.com, “Virginia Man Charged w/Cannabis Trafficking,” Greg Sapp, March 8, 2018