29 people have been arrested in a huge prescription drug sting in Sarasota. Sheriff”s investigators called the sweep “Operation Bad Apple.” News reports say the oxycodone bust stemmed from an investigation into a recently shut down clinic in Ft. Myers called Luxor Industries Physicians Group. That”s where law enforcement say they discovered more than 65 fake prescriptions that were filled at Apple Pharmacy in Englewood. Charges for the 29 people arrested range from obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, to trafficking in oxycodone. Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight says there will be more arrests in the future from this bust.
What to do if You”re Arrested in a Prescription Drug Bust
The first thing people arrested in this prescription drug bust need to do is hire a board certified criminal defense attorney because Florida”s prescription drug laws are severe. In Florida you can be arrested for trafficking drugs even if you”re not selling or transporting them. Just having a certain amount of oxycodone in your possession triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 to 25 years. These drug laws were designed to put drug lords in jail, not people with addiction problems. Most of those arrested aren”t bad doctors running pill mills or drug lords trafficking huge quantities of prescription drugs. Usually the people caught casino up in these broad stings are everyday people who are struggling with an addiction. You must have an aggressive criminal defense lawyer, like Mark Zimmerman, because without someone to fight these charges, any of the people caught up in Operation Bad Apple could end up in prison instead of rehab.
Illegal search and seizure is another way to fight your charges. Under the 4th Amendment you are protected from unreasonable search and seizure from police. We make sure law enforcement officers had probable cause to search you. Often if the police don”t follow their own procedures, we may be able to suppress the evidence in your case so that it can”t be used in court. Attorney Mark Zimmerman has extensive experience investigating police procedures to help his clients get a favorable outcome in their criminal defense.
Sarasota Criminal Defense Attorney Mark Zimmerman
If you”ve been arrested for prescription drug crimes, you have an extremely a short period of time to make the right decisions to preserve your rights. That”s why hiring a board certified criminal defense attorney, like Mark Zimmerman, immediately after your arrest is important. Contact Mark at Zimmerman and Zimmerman today to talk about your prescription drug arrest and find out how he can help you. You can reach Mark at (941) 364-8503 or you can fill out his online contact form here.
