California Felony Possession and Transportation of Heroin: Charges Dropped

Griffin Law Office, APC, was retained to represent a client who somehow became a primary suspect in a drug trafficking case with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Two anonymous 911 calls came in explaining to dispatchers that the client was transporting 30 kilograms of heroin from Calexico to the United States in a specific vehicle and even explained where that person was heading. To make matters worse for the client, the anonymous callers also identified the client by name, age, and a descriptive physical explanation.

The client was detained and booked for allegedly violating:

Health and Safety Code § 11350(a) – Possession of Heroin

Health and Safety Code § 11351 – Possession of Heroin for Sale

Health and Safety Code § 11352(a) – Transporting Heroin

Our client explained to law enforcement that he was merely borrowing the vehicle seized from a distant friend to drive from Calexico to Downey, California, to visit his mother. Our client was offered the car to borrow from this friend. After learning that there was heroin found in the vehicle he was using, the client became very upset, explaining to law enforcement that he had never had anything like this happen in his life.

It turned out that these distant friends offered to loan the vehicle to the client because they wanted to get the drugs over the border and let someone else take the heat for it. Mr. Griffin quickly showed the court the lack of evidence that proved the client had any relationship with the car lenders, that he had no knowledge of the hidden contents of the vehicle, and that the client was an innocent pawn in this heroin smuggling scheme.

Charges were subsequently dropped completely for the client who was able to move on from this successfully.