Category: Drug Crimes

Three men were arrested recently in what authorities believed may have been a drug-smuggling run, reports KABC-TV.

According to the article, the three men were on board a small boat close to Newport Beach and were believed to be headed to Huntington State Park. At approximately 8:30 a.m., lifeguards spotted the boat and contacted the police. Reportedly, the men threw at least one package overboard before being confronted by police. Approximately a mile offshore from the Newport Beach Pier, deputies stopped the boat at gunpoint and took the men into custody.

The boat was impounded as evidence and was reported stolen in Mexico. The water and beach were searched for the package allegedly thrown into the ocean. It has not been released to the public whether any package has been discovered.

The men were arrested on suspicion of smuggling, drug possession, and attempting to illegally enter the United States. According to police, drug smuggling has become an increasing problem along the coast in Orange County as security at the border of the U.S. and Mexico has become tighter.

In California, drug crimes can have serious consequences if convicted, including fines, jail time, probation, and more. If you are facing drug charges, it may be in your best interests to consult with an attorney that has experience successfully handling a wide variety of drug charges. At The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf, our drug crime defense lawyers in Orange County can carefully examine the details of your case in order to create a strong defense to make certain your legal rights are protected. To get started with one our attorneys today, call [number type=”1″].

In the past ten years, border patrols and other security measures have ramped up as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fights to prevent undocumented immigrants and illegal drug shipments from entering the United States, especially along the country’s southern border. According to a recent Associated Press article, however, the $90 billion the federal government has spent on border security in the last decade has done little to stop either people or goods from entering the country.

The current security measures along the U.S.-Mexican borders include 165 x-ray machines used to review the contents of trucks and trains, 650 miles of walls and fences, and a variety of electronic surveillance and other devices, designed to patrol desert areas that border patrol officers cannot cover.

The changes have reduced the number of people arrested for illegal immigration, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In 2001, border patrol agents arrested 1.6 million people suspected of entering the U.S. illegally. That number dropped to 463,000 in 2010. However, the increased surveillance has not stopped illegal drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, from being transported across the southern border and into the country, resulting in $25 billion in trade per year.

Border security in California and other states is meant to reduce crime and criminal charges. However, people in the U.S. are charged every day with crimes, including using, making, or selling illegal substances. If you’re facing a drug charge, the experienced Los Angeles drug crime attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf can help you protect your rights and fight for the best possible outcome in your case. To learn more, call us today at [number type=”1″] for a free and confidential consultation.

At least 35 people were arrested recently in Baldwin Village by a joint law enforcement team that included both the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to an article in The Los Angeles Times. The people arrested were believed by authorities to be involved in drug trafficking and/or gang activity in the area. They included both men and women for alleged drug trafficking.

According to the article, both state and federal law enforcement officers have been concerned with drug trafficking in the Baldwin Village area for at least 10 years. Six years ago, a raid similar to the most recent one resulted in 28 arrests of suspected gang members, all of whom were believed by authorities to be running the illegal-drug trade in the area.

The LAPD believes that, although Baldwin Village covers less than one square mile, it houses several hundred gang members. Most or all of these people allegedly belong to the Black P Stones gang. Law enforcement officers suspect that, in addition to the drug charges, these people may also have been involved in recent theft, assault, and carjacking incidents in the area.

Criminal charges in California can be overwhelming to face, particularly when they involve felonies such as drug trafficking, which can carry severe penalties for someone who is convicted. At The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf, our Los Angeles drug crime defense lawyers have the legal resources and the courtroom experience needed to present an aggressive defense on your behalf, fighting for the best possible outcome in your case while ensuring your rights are protected. To learn more, call The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at [number type=”1″].

After a year of investigating suspected drug crimes in the Los Angeles area, police have arrested 13 individuals whom they believe are dealing drugs in Los Angeles and surrounding communities, according to an article in The Santa Maria Times.

Officers from Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County teamed up with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other local police departments to carry out the investigation, which looked into the activities of gangs in the area as officers searched for signs of illegal drug-related activities. Most of the 13 people arrested are members of one of the gangs under surveillance. Nine of them were arrested on May 2 in a sweep that involved 125 police officers.

A Los Angeles grand jury has indicted 10 of the arrested people on federal charges, charging them with possessing, selling, and/or distributing methamphetamine. Police are still looking for one of the suspects. Four more people were arrested on suspicion of violating California criminal laws, and they will likely face felony charges filed by the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office.

Whether you are charged with violating state law, federal law, or both, being convicted of a felony that involves drugs means facing heavy penalties, including prison time. An aggressive defense by an experienced Los Angeles drug crime defense attorney offers you the best chance of avoiding or reducing these penalties while protecting your rights. At The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf, we understand the seriousness of drug crime charges and will fight for the best possible outcome in your case. For a confidential consultation, call us at [number type=”1″] today.

California drug charges can have extremely serious consequences for your life. Some of the punishments for drug offenses include prison time, fines, court-ordered rehab, the loss of professional licenses, and more.

If you have been charged with a California drug crime, such as possession of cocaine or methamphetamine, manufacture of cocaine or methamphetamine, or sales of illegal drugs, you need to hire a very skilled lawyer. It is best to hire an attorney who focuses solely on criminal law, rather than a general practitioner who dabbles in criminal law on the side.

You should look at an attorney’s reputation. If you have worked with other lawyers, call them to ask for recommendations for a criminal attorney. Ask friends or family members for recommendations. You could also look at websites that provide reviews from clients to see what former clients think of their experiences with an attorney.

California criminal defense attorneys also need significant experience in drug offenses. A lawyer may have years of experience in white collar crimes or violent crimes, but has never handled a drug crime before. It’s best to locate an attorney with a significant amount of experience defending against drug charges.

Once you have gotten a few names, check out the websites of the attorneys. Do their websites show a lot of up to date knowledge and experience with drug charges? Consider calling the attorneys to see if they would consult with you before you select one. Do you feel comfortable with the attorney? Do they inspire confidence? Do your personalities mesh well together?

If you are searching for a Los Angeles drug crimes attorney, contact the knowledgeable lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Contact us today at [number type=”1″].

A drug operation in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles was shut down earlier this week when police raided four homes and confiscated over 2,000 marijuana plants worth $4.5 million, according to a report from ABC 7. Police officials say the four homes in East Pasadena, San Gabriel, Rosemead and Temple City that were raided were used strictly for growing purposes, with marijuana plants lined wall to wall in every room. Seven Chinese immigrants were arrested in connection with the raid in addition to the operation’s alleged ring leader. Also confiscated from the homes were seven handguns, a rifle, three assault weapons and a shotgun.

The neighborhoods where these indoor marijuana farms were located are quiet suburbs with many elderly residents and families, so residents had no reason to suspect that a complex drug operation was going on right under their noses. According to witnesses, young men who looked like teenagers were seen going in and out of the houses late in the evening, but were just thought to be new renters. California marijuana laws are complex, often leaving those accused of marijuana-related offenses confused about the charges held against them as well as their legal rights.

Drug crimes carry serious consequences in the state of California including fines, jail time and probation. If you or a loved one has been charged with a drug crime in Los Angeles, it would be in your best interest to retain an experienced drug crime defense attorney like those at The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Our aggressive California drug crime defense attorneys will examine every detail of your case and build a strong defense to ensure that your rights are protected and the best possible outcome is reached. Call The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at [number type=”1″] or visit us at www.youareinnocent.com to learn more.

Since medical marijuana use has been legalized in California, there has been significant disagreement about whether the dispensaries that distribute legal marijuana cause crime or decrease crime, according to the Portland Press Herald.

In southern California, the number of dispensaries has been on the rise, and those dispensaries operate with very little regulation. Over 100 California communities, mostly in southern California, have banned dispensaries. At three separate dispensaries in southern California, three people were murdered. Critics of the dispensaries claim that they encourage teen drug use in addition to causing an increase in criminal activity.

However, in northern California, the dispensaries are closely regulated and many businesses like being a neighbor to a dispensary. Many northern cities limit the number of dispensaries that are allowed. Berkeley had one dispensary that was robbed 5 years ago, but since then there have been no crime problems at any of the city’s three dispensaries. One dispensary’s neighbor claimed that crime has gone down in the neighborhood since the dispensary opened, in part because the dispensary had such tight security procedures.

The issues surrounding marijuana dispensaries and crime will only increase if the proposition to legalize marijuana in California is passed. If you or someone you know has been charged with a state or federal drug crime, contact a California drug crime defense attorney. The team at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf has extensive experience with a wide range of drug crimes, from state to federal and misdemeanors to felonies. Please contact us today at [number type=”1″].

The latimes.com reported in an article on June 7, 2009 that narcotics investigators raided a home owned by Bell’s Mayor, Oscar Hernandez, and found a “super lab” able of producing 20 pounds of methamphetamine. Two men were arrested.

Hernandez did not identify the men and said that he rented the house to a couple and their two children. Hernandez stated that the husband and a man visiting the couple were arrested. The woman living there is 8 months pregnant and the daughters, ages 2 and 3, were placed in protective care.

Hernandez stated that the man arrested had told him that the chemicals found by agents were used as glue for tile adhesive.

Hernandez said, “I feel sorry for them. They have no food, no money, no clothing. I don’t know, this could be a big mistake.”

Depending upon your specific drug crime in California, you may be facing a monetary fine or a severe penalty including a long term prison sentence. Some factors that may affect the penalties which apply, and whether or not the defendant faces a felony or misdemeanor charge following a drug related arrest include the type of drug, the amount or weight of the drug, and what the defendant’s intent was with the substance.