Sometimes, being-or working-in the wrong place at the wrong time can have serious consequences. Such may be the case in a recent incident when a store owner and his two employees were charged after police found drugs and firearms in the convenience store where they worked.
Police had received complaints that the convenience store in Alexandria, Louisiana, northeast of Lake Charles, was selling marijuana. The sheriff’s office and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control then conducted an investigation. After obtaining a search warrant, state agents and detectives raided the store and discovered weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia.
During the raid, the 33-year-old store owner and two male employees were arrested. The three men are charged with drug possession, intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and firearms possession. The men were incarcerated at the detention center of Rapides Parish and eventually released after posting bail.
In Louisiana, as in most states, drug possession can have serious repercussions. For starters, those facing drug charges may be incarcerated, and getting out of jail will mean paying a typically expensive bond. Unfortunately, this kind of freedom is only temporary because the accused still has to show up for their day in court. A conviction can bring fines and even a prison sentence.
When the prosecution’s case rests on evidence siezed pursuant to a search warrant, the accused may be able to argue lack of probable cause for the warrant. If that argument is successful, all evidence siezed in the search will be excluded at trial, and defense counsel can then request that the court dismiss the charges.
Source: The Town Talk, “Alexandria Store Owner, Employees Facing Drug Charges,” Jan. 27, 2014
