Sales / Intent to Deliver

Having any type of controlled substances or illegal drugs under your control can lead to criminal charges and potential jail time. However, when you have large amounts of drugs on your person or when you are caught trying to sell drugs, things can become much worse. Simple possession can turn into possession with intent to sell or deliver. Being charged with intent to sell drugs or with selling drugs has very serious consequences.

If you are charged with possession with intent to deliver/sell a controlled substance, you can potentially face up to 15 years in prison along with fines up to $250,000 depending on the type of substance. However, there are many possible defenses that can be raised to these charges and an experienced Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer can help you to explore those defenses.

Pennsylvania Laws on Sales/Intent to Deliver

The charges that you will face for possession with intent to deliver or sell controlled substances vary depending upon the type of drugs that you have. For example:

• For schedule I drugs such as heroin, you may face up to 15 years of incarceration and fines up to $250,000.
• For possession of PHP, meth, or more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana, you may face up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine up to $100,000.
• For most other schedule I, II or III drugs, you face up to 5 years of incarceration and fines up to $15,000.
• For drugs classified as schedule IV drugs, you face up to three years of incarceration and fines up to $10,000.
• For drugs classified as schedule V drugs, you face up to one year of incarceration and a fine up to $1,000.

In some cases, you may be charged with sales/intent to deliver and faced with these penalties on the basis of actually selling the drugs. For example, if law enforcement buys drugs from you as part of a sting operation, you can face these charges. In other instances, you may face these charges simply because you have such a large amount of drugs on you that the amount you have is considered too large for personal use. Having the drugs packaged for sale (i.e. multiple bags of marijuana or drugs and scales) can also be used as evidence of sales/intent to deliver.

How a Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help

A Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer can provide you with legal advice and skilled legal representation if you are charged with intent to sell or deliver narcotics. Your attorney may help you to raise defenses including entrapment if law enforcement tricked you, or a violation of constitutional rights if you were searched illegally. When there are no defenses available, then your attorney may be able to help you to plea bargain down the possession with intent to sell to a simple possession charge or other lesser charge with penalties that are not as severe.

If you or a loved one has been arrested for drug crimes including possession with intent to sell, sales or intent to deliver , contact the Pennsylvania criminal defense law firm of Lawrence R. Dworkin today to learn how we can help represent your rights and help you achieve the most favorable outcome possible. Use our online form or call us at 610-357-3506 to learn how we can help.