Many times, drug trafficking takes place across state lines. When that occurs, both states may have an interest in pursuing charges against the individuals defrauding the system and transporting illegal drugs. In this case, the people accused of transporting drugs were stopped and arrested in Ohio, but they specifically went to Florida to gain access to the medications they are accused of wanting to sell.
The news reports that 13 people have been accused of trafficking drugs from Florida to Franklin County, Ohio. Two people who were arrested and indicted on charges include Columbus residents who are accused of being part of a pain pill drug trafficking ring that spans from Florida to Ohio. They allegedly obtained medications in Florida and intended to sell them in Ohio.
The two people, ages 28 and 31, face a minimum of 11 years in prison. It’s believed that they ran the group that sold over 12,000 prescription pills throughout the county over a 15-month period. They supposedly worked with 11 others who would go to medical providers in Florida to obtain narcotic pain medications. Initially, this was suspected to be just one drug ring, but under each individual, there were two due to their respective sizes.
If you’re involved in a similar case, you may be interested in looking into the state laws regarding drug trafficking. Your defense may suit one state or the other better, and your attorney may be able to have the case moved if it is better suited to the other state. Even if not, there are a number of defenses you can use to fight for your rights.