Criminal Defense Lawyers

Drug Trafficking in North Carolina

Look. Its 3am and your phone rings. Someone you love is in jail. Drug trafficking charges. North Carolina. And everything you thought you knew about your life just changed in an instant. Permanently. Forever.

I know what your thinking right now. Your thinking this has to be some kind of mistake. Theres no way this is happening. But heres the thing—in North Carolina, drug trafficking dont mean what most people think it means. You dont have to be some kind of cartel kingpin moving product across state lines. You dont have to have sold a single thing to anyone. All you have to do is possess a certain amount of a controlled substance. Thats it. Possession alone can equal trafficking under NC law, adn thats something alot of people dont understand until its way too late.

Real talk: The penalties for drug trafficking in North Carolina are absolutley brutal. Were talking mandatory minimum prison sentences. Not probation. Not house arrest. Not community service. Prison. The kind where you go away for years—sometimes decades—and theres nothing a judge can do about it even if they wanted to. The legislature has tied thier hands with these mandatory minimums. Its kinda insane when you think about it but thats the reality your dealing with.

34,852 drug arrests happened in NC in 2022. Thats alot of people having the worst day of thier lives. And if your reading this, your probly one of them—or you know someone who is. So lets break down exactly what your facing, what it actually means, and what you can do about it. Because there ARE things you can do. Seriously. But you gotta act fast. The clock starts ticking the moment those handcuffs go on.

This article is gonna cover everything you need to know—from what trafficking actually means under North Carolina law, to the specific penalties your looking at, to the defenses that actually work, to what happens if the feds get involved. Were also gonna talk about asset forfeiture (yes, they can take your house), immigration consequences for non-citizens, and the collateral damage a conviction does to your life even after you serve your time. Theres alot to cover. Lets get into it.

What Does Drug Trafficking Actually Mean in North Carolina?

Heres where it gets kinda insane. In North Carolina, “trafficking” doesnt require you to traffic anything. I know that sounds crazy but its true. The crime is based entirely on weight—the quantity of drugs you possess. Not what you were gonna do with them. Not whether you ever sold anything to anyone. Just the weight.

The statute that governs all this is N.C.G.S. 90-95, and it lays out very specific threshold amounts for each controlled substance. Cross those thresholds and your automatically a trafficker in the eyes of the law. Doesnt matter if you were gonna use it all yourself. Doesnt matter if you had no idea how much was there. Doesnt matter if it was your first time ever getting in trouble. The weight is what matters.

So what are the thresholds? Well, it depends on the substance. For marijuana your looking at 10 pounds or more. Now, ten pounds sounds like alot—and it is—but I’ve seen cases where people growing for personal use accumulated more then they realized over time. Doesnt matter. Ten pounds equals trafficking.

Cocaine is 28 grams. Thats about an ounce. Meth is also 28 grams. Heroin and other opioids—and this is the one that really gets people—is just 4 grams. Four grams. Thats like the weight of four paperclips. And with fentanyl being mixed into everything these days, people are getting caught up in trafficking charges who had no idea what they even had.

Speaking of fentanyl—this has became one of the biggest issues in NC drug prosecutions. The statute of limitations on these cases can extend for years, and prosecutors are going after fentanyl cases harder then ever because of the overdose crisis. 3,213 people died from overdoses in North Carolina in 2024 alone. Prosecutors cite these numbers constantly. They want maximum sentences. They want to make examples out of people.

Let me back up for a second because this is important—actualy let me back up because I see people make this mistake all the time. They think “but I wasnt selling it, it was for personal use.” Doesnt matter. The law dont care about your intent. If you possess above the threshold amount, your a trafficker in the eyes of North Carolina law. Period. End of story. The state need not introduce evidence of an intent to sell. For all intensive purposes, the quantity speaks for itself.

LSD is 100 dosage units or more. MDMA—thats ecstasy—is also 100 tablets or more. And heres another thing that trips people up: if you have multiple substances and each one is below the trafficking threshold, they cant combine them to get you to trafficking level. But if ANY single substance crosses its threshold, your facing trafficking charges for that substance regardless of what else you had.

Now, the penalties vary based on not just what substance you have but how much of it. More on this later. But first lets talk about what kind of prison time were actually talking about here because—I should mention—actually, thats a whole other issue with how these sentences work. Third… I’ll come back to that.

How Much Prison Time Are You Actually Looking At?

Look. I wish I could tell you this wasnt as bad as you think. But it probly is. No easy answer here. Well, probly no easy answer. Most people facing trafficking charges… well, many people anyway… they dont fully grasp whats coming until they see the sentencing charts. Usually… I should say typically… they expect something like probation or a short jail stint. Thats not how this works.

Lets start with cocaine since its one of the most common. The sentencing happens in tiers based on weight:

If your caught with between 28 and 199 grams, your looking at 35 to 51 months in prison. Thats three to four years minimum. Plus a fine of at least $50,000. Not optional. Mandatory.

Between 200 and 399 grams? Now were talking seventy to 93 months. Thats almost 8 years. Fine jumps to $100,000 minimum.

And if you have four hundred grams or more, the mandatory minimum jumps to 175-222 months. Thats potentially 18+ years. In prison. Mandatory. The fine is $250,000. And remember—a judge CANNOT go below these numbers. Even if they think its excessive. Even if your a first time offender with no criminal history who made one mistake. Mandatory means mandatory.

For heroin and opioids the numbers are even scarier given how little it takes. 4 to 14 grams carries a minimum of 70 months imprisonment—thats almost 6 years. 14 to 28 grams means ninty months minimum. More than 28 grams? Your looking at 225 months. Thats eighteen years and nine months. Almost two decades of your life gone. For an amount of drugs that would fit in your palm.

Methamphetamine follows a similar structure. 28 to 199 grams is 35-51 months. 200 to 399 grams is 70-93 months. 400 grams or more triggers the 175-222 month minimum. Same mandatory fines apply—fifty thousand, one hundred thousand, $250,000 respectively.

Marijuana trafficking starts at 10 pounds. 10 to 49 pounds gets you 25-30 months minimum and a $5,000 fine. 50 to 1,999 pounds jumps to 35-42 months and $25,000. 2,000 to 9,999 pounds is 70-84 months and $50k. And 10,000 pounds or more? 175-219 months and $200,000.

Studies show that these mandatory minimums have done nothing to actually reduce drug use. Everyone agrees theyre too harsh. Most experts say the system is broken. But they are what they are right now and you have to deal with reality as it exists. Reform efforts keep stalling in the legislature. I’ve seen it happen over and over.

And the fines? Were talking anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 or more depending on the substance and quantity. Plus court costs. Plus restitution in some cases. Plus probation fees if you ever get out. The financial devastation alone can ruin families even if somehow you manage to avoid prison—which, to be clear, is extremley unlikely with trafficking charges.

I’ve seen alot of people come through wiht trafficking charges thinking they could somehow get probation. It doesnt work like that. These are mandatory minimums. The word mandatory means mandatory. A judge cant sentence you below those numbers even if they think the punishment is way too harsh for your particular situation. Their hands are tied by the legislature.

And heres something else nobody mentions—good time credits work differently for trafficking convictions. In NC, trafficking is considered a violent offense for sentencing purposes even though no violence is involved. That means you serve a higher percentage of your sentence before becoming eligible for any kind of early release. So when I say 70 months, you might think “well with good behavior I’ll be out in half that.” Wrong. Your gonna serve most of it.

Will the Feds Take Your Case? (And Why That’s Worse)

Heres something most North Carolina drug trafficking lawyers wont tell you straight up: sometimes the feds get involved. And when taht happens, everything gets worse. Way worse.

Federal drug trafficking charges carry their own mandatory minimums, and they can be even longer then state sentences. Were talking 20 year mandatory minimums in some cases. If someone dies from the drugs—like an overdose—its a mandatory life sentence. Not possible life. Not up to life. Mandatory life. No parole in the federal system either.

So when does federal prosecution happen? A few common triggers:

If the drugs crossed state lines—even if you didnt know it—thats federal jurisdiction. Buying drugs in South Carolina and bringing them back to NC? Federal. Having drugs shipped to you through the mail? Federal. The border between state and federal can be thinner then you think.

If there were firearms involved anywhere in the picture, feds often want the case. One gun found during a drug arrest can add mandatory consecutive time under federal law—meaning it gets stacked ON TOP of the drug sentence. I’ve seen people get more time for the gun charge then the drugs theirselves.

If the investigation involves multiple people across different areas, they might take it. Organized operations, distribution networks, anything that looks like more then just personal use—feds get interested.

Cases near schools or public housing projects. Federal law has enhanced penalties for drug activity in these zones. Sometimes local prosecutors hand cases to the feds specificaly to access these enhancements.

Large quantities that suggest organized distribution. If your amount is significantly above trafficking thresholds, federal prosecutors might see an opportunity to make a case.

And heres one most people dont know—sometimes local prosecutors refer cases to the feds just because they want the longer federal sentences. Its like a mute point whether you did anything different. Same conduct, same drugs, same amount—but federal court means federal time.

I had a client once—actually, I shouldnt share that. But lets just say the feds have broader jurisdiction than most people realize and they coordinate wiht local NC law enforcement all the time. One minute your facing state charges, the next minute your in federal court with a whole different set of rules and worse sentencing guidelines.

The federal system also has what they call the “safety valve” provisions that sometimes allow judges to go below mandatory minimums, but the requirements to qualify are strict. You basically cant have any criminal history, cant have used violence, cant have been a leader in the operation, and have to fully cooperate wiht the government. Most people dont qualify. And even if you do qualify, the safety valve only applies to certain quantities—exceed those and your stuck with the mandatory minimum no matter what.

Federal sentences also dont have parole. You serve 85% of your sentence minimum. And theres no good time credit system like state courts have. Federal time is hard time.

How Do You Actually Fight These Charges?

And heres the thing. Just because your charged doesnt mean your convicted. There are real defenses to drug trafficking charges in North Carolina. Not guarentees—I dont want to guarentee anything—but legitimate legal strategies that can result in reduced charges, dismissed cases, or acquittals at trial.

Look. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve seen cases that looked absolutely hopeless turn around completley. And I’ve seen cases that looked winnable fall apart because the defendant didnt have good representation. What happens depends enormously on your lawyer and the strategy they pursue.

First and most importantly: Constitutional violations. The Fourth Amendment protects you from unreasonable searches and seizures. If police searched your car, your home, your person without proper legal justification, everything they found could be suppressed. Thats right—thrown out. Inadmissible. And if the drugs are inadmissible, there goes the prosecutions case. No drugs, no trafficking charge. Simple as that.

Common Fourth Amendment issues we see include: traffic stops without reasonable suspicion—police need a valid reason to pull you over and “you looked nervous” usually isnt enough. Searches without warrants or valid exceptions to the warrant requirement. Coerced consent where police basicaly bully you into agreeing to a search by saying things like “it’ll be easier if you just let us look” or “if you have nothing to hide you’ll let us search.” And overreaching on the scope of a search—if they had permission to search the glove box and they opened the trunk instead, thats a problem.

Every one of these can be challenged through what lawyers call a motion to suppress. If you win that motion, the drugs disappear from the case. Sometimes prosecutors dismiss charges entirely rather then go to trial without thier key evidence.

Second—chain of custody problems. The prosecution has to prove that the drugs tested in the lab are the same drugs taken from you. If there are gaps in the chain of custody, questions about how evidence was handled, or issues with the testing procedures theirselves, that creates reasonable doubt. Where were the drugs between your arrest and the lab? Who had access to them? How do we know nothing was added, removed, or contaminated? Good defense lawyers dig into these questions hard.

Third issue is weight. And this is crucial—wait, this is important—North Carolina weighs the entire mixture, not just the pure drug. So if cocaine is cut with other substances, the entire weight counts towards trafficking thresholds. This can be challenged. A defense lawyer can demand independent testing, challenge the methodology used, and sometimes get the weight reduced below trafficking levels. The difference between 27 grams and 28 grams is the difference between simple possession and trafficking. It matters alot. One gram can mean the difference between a few months in jail and a few years in prison.

Wet marijuana weighs more then dry marijuana. Was the marijuana wet when they weighed it? Was it weighed with the packaging included? What about the container it was in? All of this matters for getting the actual drug weight below trafficking thresholds.

Look. Entrapment is another defense but its harder then people think. You have to show that law enforcement induced you to commit a crime you wouldnt have otherwise committed. Not just that they gave you the opportunity—they actualy have to have created the criminal intent. Its a high bar but it happens, especially wiht informant-driven cases where confidential informants push people into deals they never would have done otherwise.

Lack of knowledge is sometimes a defense. If you genuinely didnt know the drugs were there—someone hid them in your car without telling you, for example—thats a valid defense. But its hard to prove. Prosecutors are skeptical and juries tend to believe “you must have known” even when the defendant truly didnt.

Mistaken identity. Were you actually the person in possession? Can they prove you had control over the drugs and not someone else who was present? If multiple people were in the car or the house, the prosecution has to prove which person possessed the drugs. Mere presence isnt enough.

So what does this mean? What should you do? Call a lawyer. Not tomorrow. Now. The earlier a defense attorney gets involved, the more options you have. Evidence gets stale. Memories fade. Constitutional challenges have filing deadlines. The clock is always ticking.

Can You Be Charged Without Even Touching the Drugs?

552 cases. Thats how many conspiracy charges were filed in NC federal courts last year according to public records I’ve seen. And conspiracy is one of teh most misunderstood charges out there.

Your probly wondering how you can be charged with drug trafficking if you never actually possessed any drugs. Heres how. Conspiracy only requires an agreement to commit a crime and some overt act in furtherance of that agreement. You dont have to succeed. You dont have to posess anything. You just have to agree and take some step toward making it happen.

I’ve seen people charged with trafficking conspiracy for: driving someone to a drug deal, lending their phone for a drug call, providing their apartment as a meeting place, counting money afterward, or even just knowing about the operation and not reporting it. The government casts a wide net with conspiracy charges. Real wide.

And heres the thing—the sentencing for conspiracy is the same as the substantive offense. So if you conspired to traffic 400 grams of cocaine, you face the same 175-222 month mandatory minimum as someone who actually possessed it. Doesnt matter that you never touched a gram. Doesnt matter that you were a minor player. The statute dont distinguish.

This matters. It realy matters. Because prosecutors love conspiracy charges. They can sweep up everyone even tangentialy connected to a drug operation and charge them all the same. Ten people get arrested, one person actually had the drugs, all ten face trafficking charges. Its way more aggressive then most people expect.

The escape goat in a conspiracy case is often whoever cooperates first. The government offers deals to people who will testify against others. First person to flip usually gets the best deal. This creates a race to cooperate that can be devastating if your the one left without a chair when the music stops.

The defense to conspiracy charges usualy involves showing that you didnt actually agree to anything, that you withdrew from any agreement before it was carried out, or that you didnt know the true nature of what was happening. But thats harder than it sounds when prosecutors have text messages, recorded calls, and cooperating witnesses pointing fingers at you.

They Want to Take Your House, Car, and Bank Account—Can They?

Real talk: Asset forfeiture in North Carolina drug cases is brutal. The government can and will try to take everything they think is connected to drug activity. Your car. Your house. Your cash. Your bank accounts. All of it. And they dont even need to convict you first.

And heres whats really messed up—they can start the forfeiture process before your even convicted. Its called civil asset forfeiture, and it operates under a lower standard of proof then a criminal case. The government only has to show by a preponderence of evidence that the property is connected to drug activity. Then its on YOU to prove it wasnt. Thats right—your guilty until proven innocent when it comes to your stuff.

I’ve seen people lose thier homes, thier vehicles, thier savings—even when the criminal case against them was weak or got dismissed. Because civil forfeiture is a separate proceeding. You can beat the criminal charge and still loose your property if you dont fight the forfeiture separately. Most people dont realize this until its too late.

Cash is especially vulnerable. If police find cash during a drug arrest—any significant amount—they assume its drug money. You have to prove it came from legitimate sources. Can you document where that $5,000 came from? 5k in cash? Five thousand dollars just sitting in your closet? Good luck explaining that to a judge when your already charged with trafficking.

Innocent owner defense does exist. If you can show that you didnt know about the drug activity or that you did everything reasonable to prevent it, you might get your property back. But its complicated adn expensive to fight. Most people dont have teh resources to battle the government in civil forfeiture court while simultaneously fighting criminal charges. You need separate lawyers for each proceeding. The costs add up fast.

Vehicles used to transport drugs are almost always seized. Even if you werent driving. Even if it was someone else’s drugs. The car is gone unless you fight to get it back. And fighting takes time and money you probly dont have.

Bottom line: If you have significant assets and your facing drug trafficking charges, you need a lawyer who understands both the criminal and civil sides of this. Otherwise you could beat the criminal case and still loose everything you own. I’ve seen it happen. Its devastating.

What to Do RIGHT NOW If You Just Got Arrested

Seriously. If you just got arrested—or someone you love just got arrested—heres what you need to do immediately. Good advice on this is critical.

First: DONT TALK TO POLICE. Period. Nothing. Silence. Not “let me explain.” Not “I can clear this up.” Not “those arent mine.” Not a single word beyond identifying yourself. Everything you say will be used against you. Everything. Police are trained to get people to talk. They will be friendly. They will suggest that cooperation will help you. It wont. They might say “I’m trying to help you here.” They’re not. Shut up and ask for a lawyer. Thats it. Thats all you say.

Second: DONT CONSENT TO SEARCHES. Make them get a warrant. Even if you think you have nothing to hide. Even if you want to seem cooperative. Even if they say they’ll get a warrant anyway so you might as well let them look. Once you consent, youve given away your Fourth Amendment rights. Say clearly: “I do not consent to any searches.” Then stop talking. If they search anyway without a warrant, thats potentially a constitutional violation your lawyer can use. But if you consent, its over.

Third: CALL A LAWYER IMMEDIATELY. Not after you get out. Now. Most criminal defense attorneys offer free consultations and many can start working on your case before you even post bail. The first 48 hours matter more then almost any other time in your case. Evidence can be preserved or lost. Witnesses can be located or disappear. Constitutional challenges need to be identified early.

Warning: Dont post on social media about your arrest. Nothing. No vague posts. No “going through a hard time” messages. Nothing. Prosecutors will find it. They will use it. Dont call anyone from jail and discuss the case—those calls are recorded and WILL be used against you. Every call. Dont text or email about it. Prosecutors will subpoena those records.

If you do get out on bond, preserve any evidence that could help you. Receipts, records, anything that shows where you were or what you were doing. Dont throw anything away. Write down everything you remember about the arrest while its fresh—names of officers, badge numbers, what was said, what happened step by step, who else was there, what you were wearing, what time it was. Every detail. Give this to your lawyer.

Dont talk to other people about the case. Not friends. Not family. Not coworkers. Anyone you tell can be called as a witness. Attorney-client privilege only protects what you tell your lawyer. Everyone else can be subpoenaed.

Are You a Non-Citizen? This Could Get You Deported

Listen. If your not a US citizen—whether your here on a visa, green card, or undocumented—drug trafficking charges have consequences that go way beyond prison time. Way worse then most people realize. Way more permanent.

Under federal immigration law, drug trafficking is whats called an “aggravated felony.” That designation is basically a death sentence for your immigration status. It makes you mandatorily deportable. Not discretionarily—mandatorily. A judge has no choice but to order your removal. Theres no weighing of factors. No considering how long youve been here. No looking at your family ties. Automatic removal.

And heres the thing most immigration lawyers wont tell you unless you ask—wait, this is important—there is basically no relief available. The usual forms of relief from deportation like cancellation of removal or asylum are barred for aggravated felony convictions. Your done. Even if youve been here for 30 years. Even if your spouse and children are citizens. Even if you’ll be sent to a country you havent seen since childhood. Supposably there are some narrow exceptions but in practice almost nobody qualifies.

Green card holders loose their status. Permanent residents become permanent deportees. Visa holders get their visas revoked. Even naturalized citizens can sometimes face denaturalization proceedings if the trafficking conviction suggests fraud in the original naturalization process.

And the immigration consequences dont wait for you to serve your criminal sentence. ICE can lodge a detainer while your in state custody. When you finish your prison time, instead of going home, you go straight to immigration detention. Then deportation proceedings. You could spend years fighting a case you have almost no chance of winning.

In my experiance, people dont understand how serious this is until its too late to do anything about it. The immigration system and the criminal system dont talk to each other until suddenly they do. If your a non-citizen facing trafficking charges, you need a lawyer who understands BOTH systems. A regular criminal defense attorney might get you a plea deal that seems good from a criminal standpoint but triggers automatic deportation. That happens more then you’d think.

Your Life After a Trafficking Conviction—The Stuff Nobody Tells You

Lets say the worst happens. You get convicted. You serve your time—maybe years, maybe decades. You get out. Is it over?

Not even close. Not good.

A drug trafficking conviction follows you forever. Permanent. Done. And the collateral consequences extend into every area of your life for as long as you live:

Employment: Good luck finding a job with a felony drug conviction. Most employers run background checks now. Most have policies against hiring felons—especialy drug felons. Some industries are completley closed to you by law—anything involving children, healthcare, security, financial services. Your gonna be starting over from scratch in an economy that dont want you. I’ve seen people with advanced degrees working minimum wage jobs because nobody else would hire them.

Housing: Public housing is off-limits with drug convictions. Private landlords can and do reject applicants based on criminal history. Finding somewhere to live can be almost impossible. You cant stay in homeless shelters in some areas with a drug felony. You cant get Section 8 vouchers. Where do you go?

Education: Federal student aid—including Pell grants and student loans—becomes unavailable for people with drug convictions. Want to better yourself through education? Your gonna have to pay out of pocket. Good luck affording college when you also cant get a decent job.

Professional licenses get revoked or denied. Nursing, teaching, law, medicine, real estate, cosmetology, accounting—all require background checks and all can deny licensure based on drug trafficking convictions. Years of education and training wiped out. Careers destroyed before they even started.

You loose your gun rights. Permanently. Felons cannot possess firearms under federal law. Even having a gun in your house where you could access it can get you sent back to prison.

Voting rights are suspended in NC while your serving your sentence including probation and parole. You can get them back after completion but many people dont know how the process works. Some never get their voting rights restored because they dont know they can.

And child custody? In my experiance, family courts look very unfavorably on parents wiht trafficking convictions. You could loose custody of your kids or have your visitation severely restricted. Courts see trafficking convictions as evidence that your not fit to parent. Even if the conviction was years ago. Even if you’ve turned your life around. That record follows you into family court.

How Long Is This Going to Take?

Most people… well, many people anyway… want to know how long theyre gonna be dealing wiht this. Heres a realistic timeline based off what I’ve seen:

From arrest to indictment: Usually 1 to 3 months. The grand jury has to formally charge you. Sometimes it happens faster, sometimes slower. 90 days is pretty typical. Ninty days of waiting and worrying before you even get officially charged.

Discovery period: Another 2 to 4 months. This is when your lawyer gets all the evidence the prosecution has—police reports, lab results, witness statements, audio recordings, video surveillance, everything. Your lawyer needs time to review all of this. And prosecutors sometimes drag their feet on turning stuff over.

Motion practice: 2 to 6 months. This is where the real legal fighting happens. Motions to suppress evidence, motions to dismiss, challenges to the charges, motions to compel discovery. If you win a key motion—especialy a suppression motion—the whole case could fall apart. These motions require hearings, arguments, sometimes testimony. It takes time.

Plea negotiations happen throughout this period too. If your going to take a deal, it usually gets worked out somewhere in here. But plea negotiations can drag on for months as both sides evaluate the strength of the case.

If it goes to trial: Add another six to 18 months from arrest. Trials take time to schedule—courts are backlogged. Then theres jury selection, trial prep, the trial itself which can last days or weeks for trafficking cases. Dont expect quick resolution.

Total timeline: Usualy 12-24 months from arrest to resolution. Sometimes longer for complex cases, federal prosecutions, or cases with multiple defendants. Sometimes shorter if you take an early plea deal. But your looking at a year minimum in most cases. A year of your life in limbo. Fourteen days can feel like forever. Two weeks. 14 days turns into months turns into a year.

And heres something nobody tells you—you might not get bond. Pre-trial detention is common in trafficking cases because courts consider defendants flight risks. The amounts involved, the potential sentences—judges often deny bail entirely or set it so high you cant possibly pay. So you could be sitting in jail for all of those months waiting for your case to resolve. Loosing your job. Loosing your housing. Loosing your family. And you havent even been convicted yet.

Why You Need a North Carolina Drug Trafficking Defense Lawyer—Today

Look. I’ve laid out alot of information here. Probly more then you wanted to know. But heres the bottom line—probly will work out, I should say—I dont want to guarentee anything—but the bottom line is this: You cant fight these charges alone. You shouldnt even try.

Drug trafficking cases in North Carolina are complex. The stakes are enormous. Were talking years or decades of your life. Hundreds of thousands in fines. The loss of everything you own through forfeiture. Destruction of your career. Damage to your family. Possible deportation if your not a citizen. This isnt a speeding ticket. This is your entire future.

The prosecutors are experienced and well-resourced. They handle these cases constantly. They know every trick. They have labs, investigators, expert witnesses, unlimited resources. The mandatory minimums give them tremendous leverage in plea negotiations. They can threaten you with decades in prison and then offer to “cut you a deal” for only a few years. Without a skilled defense attorney in your corner, your basicaly bringing a knife to a gunfight.

At Spodek Law Group, we’ve handled drug trafficking cases for years. We understand North Carolina’s drug laws inside and out. We know how to challenge evidence, how to file effective motions, how to negotiate wiht prosecutors, and how to fight for our clients in court when negotiation fails. Todd Spodek, our managing partner, has built a reputation for aggressive, effective defense work. We dont give up. We dont roll over. We fight.

We know your scared. We know you have questions. We know this feels like the end of the world. But it dont have to be. There are options. There are defenses. There is hope. But you have to act now. Today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now.

Every day that passes without a lawyer is a day the prosecution is building their case against you. Evidence can be lost or destroyed. Witnesses memories fade. Constitutional challenges have filing deadlines that can pass you by. The clock is ticking from the moment of arrest.

Call us today at 212-300-5196. The consultation is free. The conversation is confidential. We wont judge you. We wont lecture you. We’ll listen to what happened and tell you honestly what your facing and what we can do to help. It could be the most important phone call you ever make.

Trust me on this. Your future is worth fighting for. Your family is worth fighting for. Your freedom is worth fighting for. And we know how to fight. Let us fight for you.