DUI Traffic Stop in Frazer Township Ends in Major Drug Bust

If you feel nervous and worried when the police pull you over while driving, it does not necessarily mean that you are a criminal; it just means that you are human.  When the minutes tick by after you hand over your driver’s license and registration, you think, “What’s the worst that can happen?  I get a ticket?”  Even if you have never intentionally broken the law except for minor traffic violations like running a yellow light that was dangerously close to red, there is still a possibility that your split second decision to prioritize punctuality over traffic safety laws could turn into a Kafkaesque nightmare that could cost you lots of money, and even jail time.  Of course, if your car contains evidence of a crime, them getting pulled over by the police is downright terrifying.  One wonders what the defendant in this week’s news story must have felt when he saw the police car’s lights in his rearview mirror.  He certainly will need the services of a possession with intent to deliver defense attorney.

What Is Possession with Intent to Deliver?

In Pennsylvania, “possession with intent to deliver” (PWID) is the legal term for drug trafficking.  The police do not have to catch you in the act of selling drugs to charge you with PWID.  A person can be convicted of PWID if the prosecution persuades the court that any of the following scenarios took place:

• The defendant possessed illegal drugs in a quantity too large for the defendant to consume by himself or herself.
• The defendant possessed illegal drugs, even in a small quantity, but also possessed items that indicate a drug trafficking business, such as large quantities of packaging supplies, drug paraphernalia, or a large number of banknotes that would indicate that the defendant was running a cash business.
• The defendant was caught giving drugs to other people, even if the police did not catch the recipients paying for the drugs.

In Pennsylvania, PWID is almost always a felony; it is only a misdemeanor if the drugs involved were Schedule V controlled substances.  In some cases, defendants may be offered a plea bargain in which PWID charges are dropped in exchange for the defendant pleading guilty to simple possession.

In the News

Adam Stephen Viale, 24, of Gibsonia faces charges of possession with intent to deliver.  Frazer Township police stopped Viale’s car on suspicion that he was driving under the influence.  Upon searching his car, they found more than 1,000 vials of THC oil, each containing one gram of oil.  The value of the drugs, if sold individually on the street, would be more than $61,000.

Contact Gary E. Gerson About Marijuana Charges

Just because Pennsylvania’s laws regarding marijuana have been relaxed over time, it does not mean that you can’t go to jail for cannabis possession.  Contact Pittsburgh possession with intent to deliver attorney Gary E. Gerson if you have been arrested for possessing any amount of marijuana.

Resource:

pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/frazer-township-drug-bust/