The owner of a local area limo service faces felony drug charges in connection with the death of a Loudoun County 19-year-old man from an overdose of oxycodone. The businessman has been accused by prosecutors of conspiring to distribute the drug.
The teenager was discovered dead of a drug overdose at his parents’ residence in Leesburg, Virginia. He had recently finished a one-month stint at a drug rehabilitation program and had just been released from it one day before. The limo service owner, prosecutors claimed, had distributed drugs to the teenager and to other recent high school graduates and current students.
Prosecutors claimed that the decedent had bought drugs from the limo driver before entering rehab, and that there were a number of phone calls between the two once the rehab program ended. Following that, a drug dealer was allegedly dispatched to the driveway of the home of the teen’s parents, where the teen supposedly purchased oxycodone pills.
If convicted on the pending charges of conspiring to distribute the drugs, the limo service owner would face a minimum prison sentence of two decades of incarceration. The sentencing judge could enter a sentence as harsh as life imprisonment.
Accusations are not proof, of course, and the defendant is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty by admissible evidence showing guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. News reports did not indicate what real evidence there was of the accused involvement in the alleged drug distribution conspiracy. In some criminal prosecutions, law enforcement agents and prosecutors have acted on tips from unreliable informants, and sometimes false accusations are given by individuals who are seeking revenge. Given the harsh penalties for drug offenses, it is vital for those facing such charges to consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney at the earliest possible time to make sure that their defense is well planned and all their legal rights preserved.
Source: Washington Examiner, “Owner of limo service charged in teen’s overdose” Scott McCabe, May. 06, 2013
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