Newark Ex-Con Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison

September 11, 2020

Newark police recently arrested an ex-convict after surveilling him during drug transactions, seizing a massive quantity of narcotics in his possession. Pursuant to a plea deal, the individual will be serving over seven years in prison followed by supervised release.

Convict Arrested While Under Surveillance for Drug Dealing

Terrance Bradley, 28, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after law enforcement seized massive quantities of narcotics in his possession. Newark police were conducting surveillance when they witnessed Bradley selling drugs near a residence in December 2018. Based on the officers’ observations, Newark police obtained a search warrant for the residence the following day. After raiding the home, police seized from Bradley’s bedroom over three thousand heroin folds and over four hundred vials containing crack cocaine, in addition to a loaded semi-automatic pistol, an additional 200 rounds of ammunition, and over $6000 in cash, which prosecutors alleged were proceeds of Bradley’s drug dealing.

Pursuant to a plea deal with federal prosecutors, Bradley pled guilty to drug possession charges, in addition to charges of possession of a gun as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm while committing a drug crime. Bradley was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

What to Do If You Are Arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute and Firearms Offenses

If you are arrested on drugs and firearms charges, you need to act quickly to protect your legal rights and options. A federal conviction on drug possession charges can be incredibly serious, with the penalties for a conviction often dependent on the quantity of drugs found. In addition, if a firearm is found in the vicinity of the drugs in your possession, you could also be facing significant penalties, as federal law harshly punishes the combined involvement of narcotics and firearms.

When you are facing narcotics and/or weapons charges, you may have legal defenses and strategies available to you, depending on the circumstances of your case. For example, it may be possible to argue that any drugs and/or firearms seized by police were not actually possessed by you. If police seized evidence from a residence that you share with others, you may be able to raise reasonable doubt that you had actual or constructive possession if the drugs and/or firearms were found in an area of the residence that you did not have exclusive control over; this argument might not work if, for example, the drugs or firearms were seized from your bedroom.

You may also be able to challenge the legality of the police’s search that led to the discovery and seizure of the evidence against you in your case. This may involve arguing that the police conducted a warrantless search of your person, vehicle, or home, and could not establish the legality of the search under any of the recognized exceptions to the warrant requirement. If police conducted their search pursuant to a warrant, you might be able to challenge the underlying affidavit in support of the search warrant, arguing that it fails to establish probable cause for the search.

Finally, you may be able to avoid the most serious consequences of a conviction on drug and firearms charges through a negotiated guilty plea, in which you agree to plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution dismissing or reducing the severity of certain charges or asking the court to impose a less-severe sentence.

Contact an Experienced Summit Drug Defense Attorney About Your Drug Crime Charges in New Jersey

Have you been charged with a drug related offense in New Jersey? A drug crime conviction can carry with it heavy fines, jail time, and driver’s license suspension! That is why it is imperative that you speak with a qualified criminal defense lawyer about your case. The lawyers at Zegas Law represent clients charged with use, possession, production, distribution, and related drug offenses in Essex County, Union County, Middlesex County, Morris County, and throughout New Jersey. Call (973) 379-1999 or fill out our confidential online form to schedule a consultation about your case. We have an office located at 60 Morris Turnpike, Summit, NJ 07901.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.

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