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Guns for drugs

On Behalf of | May 7, 2014 | Federal Crimes

This gives new meaning to the word “barter”. 

A man in DeBary, FL, who traded a semi-automatic rifle and other guns for cocaine was sentenced to more than seven years in prison last month. He was under a court-order not to possess any firearms, so that was a double oops for him. 

Authorities said that the man met with an informant in a store parking lot in Seminole County twice in September. He sold the man two guns for $900 and then later sold two more guns. During the meetings, he told the buyer of the guns that he was interested in trading firearms for cocaine. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” gun-violence reduction program.

Needless to say, his defense team had their work cut out for them. As this man learned the hard way, most federal charges involve the potential for lengthy prison sentences and other serious consequences.  

Federal charges don’t just pop up out of nowhere. It’s a long process of investigation. That is why it is essential to hire an experienced attorney when your are facing federal charges. A highly seasoned federal defense lawyer will know how to handle a case from grand jury investigations to trial.