What a person does with his or her body is largely out of the control of others. Despite that, a man from Dallas has been charged by federal authorities for his role in selling heroin to a woman who later died from an overdose. Two others face charges for trafficking illegal narcotics.
Is it fair to hold someone accountable for a death when that person only sold or trafficked the drugs? The U.S. Attorney working on the case seems to think so. He stated that he aims to find the people selling these drugs before prosecuting them for their actions.
The men charged in Dallas include a 20-year-old and 29-year-old man. They face charges for the conspiracy to distribute heroin. The third man, an 18-year-old from Dallas, has been charged with the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine additionally.
The Farmers Branch Police Department reported that it observed the 20 and 29-year-old men meet in a shopping center parking lot for around 10 minutes. The next day, the 29-year-old man was stopped, and the police found a syringe, baggies, digital scales and a spoon that potentially had heroin residue on it. These were contained in a safe inside the man’s vehicle. Other prescription and illegal drugs were discovered in the safe as well.
Regardless of the complaints against them, these men face no more than 20 years in prison and fines no higher than $1 million. There is a great range of penalties that people in these situations face, which is why working with a defense attorney is important. With the right help, the lower end of penalties may be issued or a plea agreement could work in your favor.
Source: CBS DFW, “Heroin Dealers Arrested After Woman’s Overdose Death At McDonald’s,” March 14, 2017