Dallas Drug Manufacturing Attorneys

Texas Drug Manufacturing Legal Counsel

When you have been accused of and charged with federal drug manufacturing and distribution crimes, your future hangs in the balance. You could be locked up for years, fined until your bank account depletes, and have your social and professional reputations completely destroyed. You should not risk your future by retaining any criminal defense attorney other than those you can find at the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC.

We are led by Dallas federal crimes defense Attorney Patrick McLain, a former federal prosecutor, criminal court judge, and United States Marine Corps judge advocate. With more than 30 years of legal experience spent on both sides of the courtroom, he has the knowledge, insight, and tenacity needed to challenge your charges at every step. Our law firm knows for what we are fighting – your livelihood – and we intend to do everything in our power to protect it.

Talk defense strategies and options right now with us. Call (214) 238-9392 or contact us online.

What Qualifies Drug Manufacturing?

The Texas Controlled Substances Act Section 481.002 defines manufacturing of a controlled substance as “the compounding, conversion, preparation, processing, production or propagation of a controlled substance.” Because the law is vague, a number of different acts qualify as manufacturing, including:

• Being directly or indirectly involved in chemical manufacturing;
• The packaging or repackaging of a controlled substance;
• Labeling or relabeling a controlled substance’s container.

Though many drugs can be manufactured, the most common are methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and LSD.

Factors that Affect Drug Manufacturing Penalties

Drug cases are rarely black and white; that’s because the state takes several things into consideration when determining consequences for drug manufacturing. If convicted of manufacturing, the state will consider each of the following before sentencing:

• The type of drug being manufactured;
• How much was being cultivated;
• The quantity of a controlled substance that had been created by the time law enforcement discovered it;
• The defendant’s previous criminal record.

It should be noted that when determining how much of a controlled substance is present, authorities look at the total weight, including adulterants (substances that are readily available, like caffeine and sugar) or diluents (inactive ingredients often used as binders). Even if a drug is cut with legal substances, in order to increase profits, the total weight of the drug itself plus the bulking agent will be used.

If convicted at the state level, you could face a prison sentence of 180 days to two years and a fine of up to $10,000. From there, sentences can increase (based on the above factors) to life in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

Understanding Federal Drug Manufacturing Laws

When someone or a group creates or attempts to create an illicit drug or controlled substance, such as a pharmaceutical drug, without appropriate permits and permissions, it constitutes the drug crime of drug manufacturing. Attempting to or actually moving illicit drugs from one location or another, selling an illegal substance, or storing controlled drugs can constitute distribution.

The manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs is a crime in all states but it can also be considered a federal crime, which will carry escalated penalties if you are convicted.

There are four aspects of a manufacturing or distribution crime that could escalate it to federal charges:

1. Amount: A particularly large amount of an illegal drug can trigger federal charges. The actual amount that will turn the matter into a federal case will vary depending on the drug involved.
2. Location: A defendant can face federal manufacturing or distribution charges depending on where he or she was arrested. Being near a schoolyard, for example, can raise the charges, as can being arrested near a state or international border.
3. Activity: In some cases, a person can be charged with a federal drug crime if he or she was also allegedly carrying out another federal crime or serious felony at the time of the arrest.
4. Record: A person with a criminal record that includes multiple federal crime convictions could be charged with federal drug distribution or manufacturing when arrested for drug crime activity.

The penalties for a federal conviction are steep. It is not unusual for federal drug crime sentencing to include lengthy minimum sentences of three or five years and fines that exceed $10,000.

Contact our federal drug manufacturing and distribution attorney as soon as you can after being arrested to start protecting your rights with a powerhouse law firm.

State vs Federal Drug Manufacturing Offenses

Perhaps the most notable difference between a federal drug manufacturing and distribution case and a similar case handled state-level is the opposition. Federal agencies tend to have much larger budgets and staffs than local law enforcement agencies.

When you have been charged with a federal drug crime, you will be pursued by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). While these federal investigators are not supposed to run the prosecution, you can be assured that DEA and FBI agents are not there to help you out in any way.

The involvement of federal agencies in your case creates a significant hurdle for you must overcome. They will play rough in your case in their efforts to seek a conviction. You will need a defense team of equal skill and experience to match the strength of the prosecution.

Seek Defense for Federal Drug Charges

As soon as you are arrested for federal drug distribution or manufacturing charges, you can be certain investigators have gotten to work and the prosecution is thinking about how to land a conviction. Get Dallas federal crimes Attorney Patrick McLain and our entire team of legal professionals at the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC to rebalance the scales of justice.

With us representing you in and out of court, you can feel confident that your chances of securing a positive case result, like charge reductions or case dismissal, will be maximized.

Email our law firm about your drug crime charges or dial (214) 238-9392 today.