Cocaine (Powder) Sentencing Calculator.

How this charge is sentenced.

Powder cocaine thresholds: 500g+ triggers 5-year mandatory minimum; 5kg+ triggers 10-year minimum under §841(b)(1)(A).

What moves the number.

500 grams triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum; 5 kilograms triggers 10 years.

Federal judges sentence under the advisory guidelines, but the guideline range is where every case starts. Loss amounts get contested, roles get litigated, and cooperation agreements move the final number. If you are facing cocaine (powder) sentencing, the consultation is free - and the earlier counsel starts, the more levers exist.

Quantity and mandatory minimums.

Federal drug sentences under 21 U.S.C. §841 combine statutory mandatory minimums with USSG §2D1.1 base offense levels tied to drug type and weight. Pure methamphetamine is sentenced two levels higher than mixture of the same weight. Conspiracy holds you accountable for all reasonably foreseeable quantities in the chain.

Why the guideline range is only a starting point.

After United States v. Booker, federal judges must consider the guideline range but may impose a sentence above or below it based on 18 U.S.C. §3553(a). Downward departures, substantial assistance motions under §5K1.1, and compassionate release petitions can all move the final number - but only if counsel builds the record early.