On August 23, Florida authorities arrested a man and a woman for allegedly dealing drugs out of their mobile home’s kitchen window. A raid of their Ocala property uncovered fentanyl and various pieces of drug paraphernalia.
According to the Ocala Police Department, officers had recently responded to multiple overdose incidents in the area of the couple’s trailer. The occurrences reportedly involved heroin laced with fentanyl. Authorities were able to obtain a search warrant for the property after an undercover officer bought drugs from the home in mid-August.
Apparently, the defendants were using their kitchen window as a drive-thru window to quickly supply drugs to their clients. They allegedly used signals to let customers know when they were open for business and where to drive their vehicles. A police report indicated that fentanyl packets wrapped in foil, plastic bags and a digital scale were found in their kitchen. Both defendants have been charged with multiple drug crimes, including possession with the intent to deliver and maintaining a dwelling to sell narcotics.
Even when drug charges seem cut and dry, there are several strategies defendants could use to fight the allegations. In some cases, a criminal defense attorney may find that police violated a defendant’s constitutional rights while searching his or her property. Such a discovery could cause all seized evidence to be deemed inadmissible in court. In other cases, it may be possible to prove that the seized drugs did not belong to the defendant, which could cause the charges to be dismissed. Finally, legal counsel may recommend negotiating a plea deal that allows the defendant to plead guilty to reduced charges. This strategy could lead to a more lenient sentence.
Source: USA Today, “Florida couple allegedly sold drugs from their mobile home kitchen window, police say,” Ryan Miller, September 3, 2018
