controlled substance

An overview of federal money laundering statutes

February 6, 2011
Thumbnail image for An overview of federal money laundering statutes

The United States government keeps close watch on financial activity both for tax collection purposes and also for law enforcement. Tracking the flow of cash through small businesses has proven to be a useful tool for federal agents investigating large scale criminal organizations. Money laundering, generally, is the practice of using a business to conceal [...]

Read the full article →

Federal law on possession of a controlled substance

December 22, 2010
Thumbnail image for Federal law on possession of a controlled substance

Possession of a controlled substance is a federal criminal offense under Title 21, United States Code, Section 844. Although most controlled substance offenses are prosecuted under state law, possession can become a federal charge in many circumstances. For example, it is a federal offense where either the defendant or the drug crossed state lines, or [...]

Read the full article →

Possession of a firearm by convicted felon: federal offense

December 15, 2010
Thumbnail image for Possession of a firearm by convicted felon: federal offense

A charge in federal court for possessing  a firearm as a convicted felon carries extremely severe penalties. It does not matter that the firearm was unloaded. Nor does it matter that the weapon was never discharged. In fact, the firearm itself may not be operable. Nonetheless, a person can be found guilty of this crime [...]

Read the full article →

Accountability for acts of another during conspiracy

December 8, 2010
Thumbnail image for Accountability for acts of another during conspiracy

In a federal prosecution for conspiracy, the defendant is typically charged with two offenses. First, he is charged with conspiracy. Second, he is charged with the offense that he and his co-conspirators were conspiring to commit. This is known as the object of the conspiracy. For instance, a person charged in connection with a drug [...]

Read the full article →

Pretrial diversion for federal criminal charges

November 27, 2010
Thumbnail image for Pretrial diversion for federal criminal charges

Pretrial diversion is a practice in federal court where the prosecutor decides to divert the defendant to a rehabilitation program rather than prosecute him on criminal charges in United States District Court. The practice is not frequent, but it does provide an alternative to ordinary prosecution. The program is known as PTD. The decision to [...]

Read the full article →