Andrew Hunter of New Hampshire, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for trafficking in cocaine and heroin throughout New Hampshire and Maine. Hunter was the distributor for a large drug ring and the main supplier for said ring. When he is released, he will be on supervised release for a period of 3 additional years. Supervised release is the federal equivalent of state probation.
When facing federal charges, the stakes are significantly higher than they are in state court. For example, an aggravated drug trafficking crime in state court may land you a mandatory minimum sentence of 4 years in state prison. Perhaps a maximum of 8 years, depending on the facts of the case and the defendant’s criminal history. In federal court, you’re likely looking at a 10 year mandatory minimum prison sentence and if you’re classified as a armed career criminal offender, you maybe looking at 30 years to life. That’s a BIG difference.
When you’re facing charges that could go either federal or state, it’s in your best interests for your attorney to try to negotiate a state jail sentence and to keep the case out of federal court.
If you’ve been charged with a federal offense in Maine, call The Law Office of William T. Bly, at (207) 571-8146.
