What Leads to a Charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver?

More than a dozen suspected drug dealers were nabbed in an early-morning raid in Berks County on September 3, 2014, in what officials are calling a response to concerned citizens. The 13 arrested individuals are believed to be low- to mid-level dealers of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. All but one of them is charged with possession and delivery of drugs. An earlier bust in June led to the arrest of an additional 42 suspects.

Determining whether a suspect arrested for drug possession had the intention of delivering or selling the drugs is largely dependant upon the amount of drugs confiscated as well as the manner in which they were being held. Quantities of drugs such as those confiscated in the recent raid, if they are deemed to be far more than a person could need for individual use, will likely result in a possession with intent to deliver charge. Additionally, if the drugs are packaged in smaller bags or containers, authorities will likely conclude that the individual in possession of the drugs intended to deliver or sell them.

A drug possession charge can be bad enough, but a charge of possession with intent to deliver or delivery can carry sizable fines and significant jail time. The penalties depend on the type of drug you’re charged with intending to deliver. Needless to say, avoiding a conviction on charges of possession with intent to deliver or delivery is in a defendant’s best interest.

For the advice you need after a drug arrest, consult an experienced criminal defense lawyer with the Law Office of David R. Eshelman in Reading, Pennsylvania. A skilled attorney helps you understand the accusations against you and builds a strong defense strategy.