Drug investigation results in more than 50 arrests

A sudden arrest for alleged criminal wrongdoing can turn your world upside-down. At one moment you might be going about your business as usual, and then you’re being threatened with years of imprisonment and financially ruinous fines. Your reputation can also be irreparably damaged. This is the case for many Pittsburgh-area residents. Sadly, even when the evidence doesn’t support the charges that have been brought against them, these accused individuals still have to put up a legal fight against over-zealous prosecutors and investigators.

More than 50 people may be in this position now after being taken into custody on a variety of drug charges. According to reports, the arrests come after a 10-month investigation that allegedly included the use of undercover police officers and confidential informants. The Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, says the investigation resulted in nearly 100 purchases of illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and illegally obtained prescription drugs.

The charges that will be levied against these individuals will be quite serious. Some of them have been labeled by the police as “midlevel” drug dealers, and one man is even accused of distributing a drug that led to another’s death. Those facing these charges have a lot on the line as their cases move forward, which is why they need to carefully think about how to protect themselves as fully as is possible under the circumstances.

While taking a criminal matter to trial is always an option, sometimes it’s not the best option. Sometimes it is worth negotiating with prosecutors for lesser charges or reduced penalties that allow an accused individual to get back to his or her family more quickly. In short, it’s a benefit-risk analysis that must be conducted with a careful analysis of the facts and the law at hand. This is something an experienced criminal defense attorney can help an accused individual do. Then, once a choice is made with regard to a path forward, that attorney can aggressively advocate for that individual.