Opium Crimes Attorney

Opium and opium derivatives, except for heroin, can have widespread social consequences, ranging from addiction (which can lead to heroin usage) to crime. Therefore, local law agencies and state prosecutors seek to reduce the opiate epidemic currently spreading throughout New York State by handing down harsh drug crime penalties and putting opiate addicts in prison, without ever addressing the formative causes to the opiate usage.

In comparison to heroin, opium crimes are far fewer, as getting raw opium in New York is quite difficult. Under the Controlled Substances Act, however, opium is a Schedule II drug for its high capacity to cause addiction and its limited medical usage. Grouped in this category is also opium derivatives, such as codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, Fentanyl, Oxycontin, MSContin, and many others.

If you were charged with possessing, selling, or manufacturing (cultivating) opium or an opium derivative, you need an opium crimes attorney to thoroughly represent your case to state prosecutors and the courts.

Penalties for Opium and Opium Derivatives

Much of the heroin epidemic throughout New York starts with opioid derivatives, such as those mentioned above. Therefore, to reduce the number of people using opium-like drugs, especially heroin with its huge potential for overdose, opium is given severely harsh penalties. Possessing Oxycontin or a similar opioid substance without a prescription is a crime, and possessing a small amount can bring about a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a maximum fine of $1,000. You will receive a Class D felony, however, if you’re caught with a half-ounce or more of opium or an opium derivative.

Some other penalties and their associated punishments are as follows:

• Possessing more than 5,760 milligrams of methadone or a similar substance: Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree – 220.21 — Class A1 Felony
• Possessing between 360 and 2,879 milligrams of methadone or a similar substance: Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree – 220.09 — Class C Non-violent Felony
• Sale of opium, an opium salt, or another opioid-like substance: Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree — 220.31 — Class D Non-violent Felony

Contact Benjamin Greenwald, the Leading Opium Crimes Attorney in Orange County, NY

Opioid addiction in New York State is a public health issue, but unfortunately, due to its ties to heroin as well as its own criminal status, opium renders harsh penalties, little leniency, and a predisposition from prosecutors and judges. As an Orange County, NY, opium crimes attorney, Benjamin Greenwald presents aggressive negotiation tactics as well as diligent investigations to keep you out of jail or prison. We’ll work with prosecutors to look for alternative solutions and sentencings, while reviewing every step of the arrest to ensure that your rights weren’t violated at any point.

If you were arrested for an opium crime, don’t hesitate and call the Law Offices of Benjamin Greenwald today at (845) 567-4820.