New Brunswick NJ Drug Kingpin Defense Lawyer
The most serious controlled dangerous substance (“CDS”) offense an individual can face in this state is a drug kingpin charge. The New Jersey Criminal Code terms this violation as being a “leader of a narcotics trafficking network”. There is little room for an inexperienced lawyer when it comes to defending an indictment under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-4 (“Leader of narcotics trafficking network”) since a drug kingpin conviction results in a life sentence. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are fully equipped to handle cases of this nature given our 100 plus years of experience, including our tenure as prosecutors in the state. One of the lawyers on our team even served as a supervisor in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. If you were arrested for allegedly being a leader of a narcotics trafficking network in New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, South Plainfield or Sayreville, an attorney is available immediately to help you. Call us in New Brunswick at 732-246-7126 for assistance with bail or any other issue.
Drug Kingpin Charge in Middlesex County New Jersey
It is a crime of the first degree to be a leader of a narcotics trafficking network (a.k.a. drug “kingpin”). N.J.S.A. 2C:35-3 is intended to target the organizers, supervisors, financiers, and managers of a drug distribution enterprise. These terms are defined as follows:
“Financier” is a person who, with the intent to derive a profit, provides some form of money or credit or thing of value in order to obtain a controlled dangerous substance or CDS analog or otherwise finances the operations of a drug trafficking network.
“Organizer” is a person who arranges or devises the plans of the drug trafficking network.
“Manager” is a person who directs the operations of the drug trafficking network.
“Supervisor” is someone who supervises the operation of a drug trafficking network similar to a manager.
Notwithstanding these terms, it is sufficient for the state to prove that the defendant was a high-ranking official in a narcotics trafficking network to qualify as a leader or kingpin under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-3. In addition to establishing this status, the prosecutor must also prove that an individual qualifying as a leader of the trafficking network conspired with two or more people in a scheme or course of conduct designed to unlawfully manufacture, dispense, or distribute drugs in New Jersey. The state bears the burden of proof to show that the parties conspired in this manner and that it was undertaken for profit.
Penalties If Convicted of Being a Drug Kingpin or Leader of a CDS Network
The penalties and sentence associated with such this drug distribution charge are severe. A person convicted of this crime shall be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment and must serve twenty-five years in prison before they are eligible for parole. The court may also impose a fine of up to, the greater of, $750,000 or five times the street value of the controlled dangerous substance involved. Moreover, there is nothing in this section that makes it mandatory that this charge merge with others, so a person convicted of being a leader of a narcotics trafficking network, may also be subjected to other penalties for separate drug-related offenses.
Middlesex County Leader of a Narcotics Trafficking Network Attorneys
The stakes for someone charged as a Leader of a Drug Trafficking Network are clearly about as high as you can get under New Jersey law. The jail sentence is, in fact, life in prison. If you are facing a first degree N.J.S.A. 2C:35-3 charge, an experienced defense lawyer is an absolute must. Attorneys at The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are highly capable of serving you in this capacity. To speak to an attorney on our staff immediately, contact our Piscataway Office, New Brunswick Office, Woodbridge Office or East Brunswick Office.
