Category Archives: Drug Crimes

Heroin Trafficking in Texas and Federal Sentencing Guidelines

Criminal defense after arrest on federal charges of heroin trafficking in Texas  First things first: if you are arrested on heroin trafficking under federal law, then you must be prepared to spend a significant amount of time behind bars.  Statistics reveal almost every person (96.3%) convicted of heroin trafficking in the federal system is sentenced…


Guns and Drug Trafficking:  Firearms and Mandatory Minimum Sentences under Federal Law

Sentencing Guidelines When Someone Faces Combined Drug Trafficking and Federal Firearms Charges Drug arrests in North Texas can result in criminal charges under either state or federal law.  If the local police or county sheriff’s deputies are involved, then Texas criminal laws are going to apply.  If you are convicted, sentencing will occur according to…


Methamphetamine Trafficking and Federal Sentencing 

Things to know when you are arrested for crystal meth distribution in Texas.  There are 94 federal district courts in this country and according to the United States Sentencing Commission, three of the top five federal district courts hearing the highest number of criminal charges for methamphetamine are in Texas.  Two of these three are…


Mandatory Minimum Penalties in Federal Sentencing

Congress Decides Your Prison Sentence with Certain Federal Crimes Our modern system of mandatory minimum sentencing in federal cases arguably began with the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986.  Congress enthusiastically targeted drug “kingpins” for explicit punishment, mandating that the federal judge must sentence these defendants, upon conviction, to imprisonment in a federal…


What Happens When You Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Crime? From Guilty Plea to Sentencing Hearing in a Drug Case

Federal drug arrests can force the accused into negotiating a plea agreement, where special considerations apply to the defendant’s situation. Drug arrests are made every day here in Dallas as well as the rest of Texas.  Lots of drug busts are done by the local police or by county sheriff’s deputies.  They will make drug…


Criminal Defense Alert: Significant Changes in Amendments to 2018 Federal Sentencing Guidelines (USSG)

The 2018 Amendments to the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) were unanimously adopted by the U.S. Sentencing Commission last month.  On May 1, 2018, the Federal Sentencing Guideline amendments were submitted to Congress. November 2018 Effective Date They will automatically become effective on November 1, 2018, unless Congress takes proactive steps to disapprove them.  For…


Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance Cases

How the Federal Sentencing Guidelines are applied in a Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs case Drug arrests made by federal agents will be based upon federal law and proceed through federal courts, and the odds are high that the federal prosecutor will include a charge of “conspiracy” to the drug case. It’s an easy addition.  Most…


What You Need to Know If You are Facing Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking Charges

Crimes involving drug trafficking activities are aggressively prosecuted at both the state and federal levels.  Oftentimes defendants are charged with money laundering crimes in addition to other drug-related offenses.  Michael Lowe, an experienced Texas criminal defense attorney, explains the laws behind money laundering crimes along with the tactics and strategies law enforcement officials use to…


Carson County 1st Degree Felony Money Laundering Case Dismissed

Mr. Lowe’s client was targeted by State Trooper Danny Dawson as he was travelling west bound on I-40 through Carson County, Texas.  Trooper Dawson stated in his arrest report that Mr. Lowe’s client was following too closely (Texas Transportation Code 545.062)and changed lanes without signalling (Texas Transportation Code 545.104) as the probable cause reasons for…


Marijuana Arrests in Texas in 2018: Federal Law vs State Statute

Marijuana Enforcement: that’s the subject of the January 4, 2018, memo that the United States Attorney General, Jefferson B. Sessions III, sent to all the United States Attorneys in this country last week.  Every single federal prosecutor got the one-page memo from their boss; you can read it online in its entirety. What’s the big…