Nearly 40 more people were arrested this month from three Florida counties in the second round of arrests from an October drug sting at a Spring Hill pain clinic called Operation Glory Daze.
The public information officer for the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the total number of arrests for the sting operation is now up to 100.
Three of the suspect’s arrested are accused of signing for pain pill prescriptions using fake doctor’s notes. Their bail amounts totaled almost $2 million.
A 40-year-old Spring Hill man was charged with fraud and trafficking with bail set at $1.21 million. Two men from Weeki Wachee, ages 36 and 50, were arrested for similar charges; their bond is set at $505,000 and $105,000.
One Weeki Wachee man was allegedly caught with 240 pills on his person, but had supposedly signed for 900 since February 2010. The other, allegedly signed for 540 pills and was reportedly caught with 270 pills.
Reports indicate that both Weeki Wachee men have been arrested on trafficking charges in the past.
Being charged with drug trafficking in the state of Florida is a serious matter. Not only is this crime a felony drug charge, but if you are convicted you are facing substantial prison time due to Florida’s minimum mandatory sentencing guidelines. Minimum mandatory sentencing cannot even be changed by a judge who deems the prison term inappropriate for the crime, so it is imperative that you contact a skilled Drug Crimes Defense Attorney at the slightest suspicion you are being investigated.
Most defenses to drug crimes are centered on how contact was first made between you and the police and the terms of drug evidence seizure. Police procedure in drug crimes must be followed precisely; otherwise the charges can be dropped. The drug charges you face could be dismissed if police used an illegal wiretap, lacked sufficient evidence to link you to the drugs in question or if a proper warrant was not obtained.
In some cases, police make drug trafficking arrests from undercover sting operations. At Whittel & Melton, our team of lawyers is comprised of former State Prosecutors and Retired law enforcement that have worked on sting operations previously. We can honestly evaluate the State’s case against you and build your defense according to the prosecution’s strengths and weaknesses.
If you have been arrested in an undercover drug bust in Hernando County or throughout the state of Florida, contact the Florida Drug Crimes Defense Lawyers at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or call 352-666-6666 or toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).