On Nov. 28, four California men were arrested for allegedly running a sophisticated drug trafficking scheme out of San Jose. The defendants, who all range between the ages of 35 and 42, are facing various drugs and weapons charges.
According to authorities, the defendants were posing as the owners of a computer company and approaching shipping companies about transporting their products to locations in the eastern and southern parts of the U.S. In reality, police say, they were manufacturing marijuana and other illicit substances and shipping them to distribution areas on the other side of the country. The scheme allegedly yielded around $1 million in profits. Meanwhile, the defendants paid around $70,000 in shipping costs.
A police raid of the defendants’ property reportedly uncovered over 800 pounds of marijuana, a large amount of anabolic steroids, 5 ounces of hash oil, cocaine powder, Xanax bars and ecstasy pills. Authorities say that three handguns and an expended rocket launcher were also discovered. The raid was the culmination of a two-year investigation conducted by the San Jose Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit and MERGE Unit. They were assisted by the department’s Covert Response, Metro, ICAC and K-9 units, Violent Crimes Enforcement Team and Field Operations. They were also assisted by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Defendants charged with drug crimes could be sentenced to years in prison and heavy fines if they are convicted. However, a defense attorney may be able to review the case and work to obtain a better outcome on behalf of a client. For example, by challenging the prosecution’s evidence, it may be possible for the attorney to get the charges dropped. Another possible tactic might involve negotiating a plea deal that reduces the charges.
Source: Patch, “$1 Million National Drug Crime Ring Busted By San Jose Police,” Sue Wood, Dec. 6, 2018
