South Florida Man Arrested After Advertising Marijuana on Craigslist
As states across the country begin to legalize recreational pot use and permit medicinal use of marijuana, the Sunshine State refuses to alter — and continues to enforce — its seemingly draconian drug laws.
As our West Palm Beach and Hollywood drug crime defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Leifert & Leifert know, possessing and/or selling marijuana in Florida is still a very serious crime.
One man from Miami was reminded of this harsh reality this past week, after he was arrested for attempting to sell marijuana after advertising it on Craigslist.
According to law enforcement officials, detectives from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office noticed a suspicious Craigslist add which advertised “medicinal high grade top shelf” marijuana, as NBC Miami reported. After viewing the add, detectives contacted the e-mail address of thee seller and asked if he would come to Monroe County to make the sale. The Miami man took the detectives up on their offer (not knowing that they were detectives), and agreed to sell an ounce of pot for $320.00.
When undercover detectives from the Sheriff’s Office met the man in the parking lot of a store, they arrested him after he handed over the bag of marijuana. (After placing him under arrest, officers discovered more pot and various other “items of drug paraphernalia” in his vehicle.)
The man, according to NBC Miami, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, as well as use of a cell phone to facilitate a felony and possessing drug paraphernalia. As our West Palm Beach and Hollywood drug crime defense lawyers know, these are serious charges with serious consequences.
For instance, if the man is convicted of possessing marijuana with intent to sell, a third degree felony in the State of Florida, he faces up to $5,000 in fines and/or 5 years in prison. But remember: as our West Palm Beach and Hollywood drug crime defense lawyers know, he faces other charges as well, some of which are just as serious.
As the story demonstrates, while many states across the country are quickly turning toward a more lenient and accepting approach to marijuana use, it seems as though Florida is not. At the same time, the story also reminds us that broadcasting criminal activity on the Internet is practically a surefire way to get caught. Remember, police departments and other law enforcement agencies monitor the Internet for suspicious activity; further, what you upload to the Internet is pretty much indelible; despite your attempts to retract or delete online posts, they will remain imprinted on the Internet, in some form, forever.
If you have any questions about this legal issue, or if you have been arrested for or charged with a drug crime or any other crime in Palm Beach, Broward or Miami-Dade County, please contact our West Palm Beach or Hollywood drug crime defense lawyers at Leifert & Leifert by calling 1-888-5-DEFEND (1-888-533-3363) to schedule a free consultation. We look forward to assisting you!