Once seen as a largely metropolitan problem involving hardcore drug abusers, heroin is increasingly finding its way into small town American and into the hands of younger users. Heroin is a highly addictive opiate processed from morphine, which is extracted from poppy plants in Asia, Mexico and Columbia.
Heroin is sold in a white or brownish powder, as well as the Mexican "black tar" heroin popular in the western U.S. The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that 3.8 million Americans 12 and older admitted to using heroin at least once in their lifetime.
Clackamas County Heroin Bust
A recent heroin bust in a suburban area 35 miles south of Portland illustrates how heroin has moved from big city backstreets to small town American.
In April 2011, members of the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force served a search warrant on the home of an alleged heroin dealer in Molalla, Oregon. Law enforcement in the area had seen a recent increase in heroin arrests involving young people and the name of this 21-year-old continued to come up.
The alleged dealer was living in his parents' converted garage with his girlfriend and 2-year-old child. While the home was under surveillance, authorities witnessed up to three drug transactions in one day. During the execution of the warrant, agents found packaging materials, scales, cash and heroin.
Heroin Charges Require a Vigorous Defense
A felony conviction for even simple possession of heroin can have devastating consequences for anyone, but especially for younger people. In addition to fines and potential incarceration, many employers will not hire a convicted felon.
Felony convictions for the sale or distribution of heroin can easily result in a prison sentence - even for a first time offender. Distribution cases where a later user of the drug is hurt or overdoses and dies are vigorously prosecuted in federal court.
Anyone accused of a criminal offense has rights under the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions . Those rights must be vigorously defended at every step of the criminal justice process to protect the innocent person and make sure everyone is treated fairly.
If you have been charged with a heroin offense, an experienced and knowledgeable attorney can fight to protect your rights and your future.
