People in New York who are accused of crimes involving illegal or prescription drugs have long had to work hard to defend themselves and protect their rights when facing these allegations. Now their challenges may be increasing as more emphasis is being put on finding people to blame for the deaths of those who die due to drug overdoses. Rather than simply acknowledging that a person may have had a drug addiction that ended up claiming their life, authorities want instead to hold someone else accountable. The alleged drug dealers may well be the someone else in many cases.
One man who lived in Williamsville has recently been indicted for his alleged role as the leader of a group of people that included four others who are said to have sold fentanyl and heroin to at least five people who have subsequently died. The group is said to have conducted its drug sales in Amherst and Buffalo. Reports indicate that for two years multiple law enforcement agencies worked together with the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate the defendants prior to searching the home of the man said to be the group’s leader.
The search returned jewelry said to be worth more than $400,000, almost $50,000 in cash and a couple hundred doses of fentanyl. It is not known what evidence allowed the search to take place nor how authorities connected the found items conclusively to the defendants.
People who are accused of not only drug dealing but also of some responsibility for the deaths of others may want to talk with an experienced criminal defense attorney in New York.
Source: The Buffalo News, “Five indicted, accused of supplying fentanyl in six overdose deaths,” Phil Fairbanks, April 13, 2018