Drug and Fraud Charges Often Go Together

Criminal defense attorneys discussing case

Q: Do other criminal charges often accompany drug-related charges?

When you’re charged with a drug-related crime, things get real very fast. With state and federal agencies eager to prosecute even the lowest level drug offenses, working with a skilled Texas criminal defense attorney is crucial to avoid or minimize the many potential penalties a drug-related conviction might bring, including life in prison in certain circumstances. 

At times, in addition to drug-related criminal charges, those arrested for allegedly larger-scale activities may also face fraud charges. 

Identity theft is one of the fraud-related white-collar crimes that can carry stiff penalties. White-collar crimes are non-violent, financially-motivated offenses that combine elements of deceit, concealment and/or a violation of trust. 

State laws differ but in Texas identity theft is classified as obtaining, possessing, transferring, or using someone else’s personal identifying information – name, Social Security number, or credit card – without their permission for personal gain with the intent to harm or defraud. 

Recently, a pair of brothers in Wisconsin were reportedly charged with “possession of THC with the intent to deliver, maintaining a drug trafficking place, identity theft, possession of a firearm by a felon, and cocaine possession” after their arrest for allegedly running a “massive counterfeit THC vaping cartridge operation”.

The pair reportedly purchased pre-filled THC vaping cartridges in California to resell at a profit in Wisconsin. One of the brothers reportedly admitted to attempting to boost profits by buying empty vape cartridges and filling them with liquid THC, allegedly enlisting the services of 10 hired hands who worked the alleged operation out of a condo. The condo was allegedly leased using the personal identifying information of a man without his consent.

According to authorities, the alleged counterfeit THC vape pen cartridge operation is believed to be “one of the largest of its kind in the nation” and an investigation continues on the federal level to see if any of the suspects’ cartridges can be linked to the vaping illnesses and deaths making headlines in recent weeks. 

Contact the Benjamin Law Firm today

If you have been arrested or expect to be charged in a drug-related crime or any other crime, the Benjamin Law Firm can help you. Contact us today

From our office in El Paso, Texas, we represent clients facing a wide range of state and federal criminal charges throughout the Lone Star State and New Mexico. As a former prosecutor and one of only about six attorneys in El Paso County certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, we will leverage our legal knowledge and skills against the prosecution and will treat you with dignity and respect, no matter what charges you are facing.

Posted in: Drug Criminal Defense