Miami Prescription Drug Crime Lawyer

The following are second degree felonies which are punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines:

• Knowingly purchasing or receiving prescription drugs from a person not authorized to distribute prescription drugs in a wholesale distribution transaction
• Knowingly selling or transferring drugs to a person not authorized to purchase or possess prescription drugs
• Knowingly being in actual or constructive possession of any amount of contraband prescription drugs, whether to sell or deliver them

In addition, upon conviction, a defendant would be ordered to pay a mandatory fine ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, depending on the value of the contraband prescription drugs involved. Punitive fines for corporations committing these crimes are substantially higher.

Prescription Fraud

Prescription fraud occurs when an individual forges or otherwise falsely obtains a prescription for a controlled substance. It also occurs when someone makes false or misleading statements to a medical practitioner for the purposes of obtaining a prescription.

The punishment for prescription fraud in Florida depends on the severity of the offense, but in general, those accused face up to 60 days in prison and a fine of up to $500 for a first offense.

To defend themselves, defendants may argue that:

• Their prescription was filled in good faith
• The accused was not aware that the prescription was forged or otherwise falsely procured
• The accused had to the best of their knowledge disclosed all of their prescriptions to their medical practitioner
• The accused visited different medical practitioners for distinct purposes
• The accused is using the prescription “off-label” to treat a valid medical condition
• The accused has a valid medical condition that may be treated with the prescription they obtained

Call us at 305-249-0090 if you are in Miami, or 954-524-4474 if you are in Broward County, to schedule a consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney.