Conspiracy is when two or more people agree to a plot that is usually of sinister nature. This can apply to crimes, especially to drug crimes, where drug dealers can conspire to perform different violations like drug trafficking. Know that you do not have to have committed the planned crime to be charged with conspiracy, just simply agreeing to act will mean drug conspiracy while doing an overt act will entail a federal drug conspiracywhich is the charge we talk about more below.
Agreement, intent, and execution
For a drug conspiracy or general conspiracy to be proven by criminal justice attorneys, the offenders must have agreed in to doing the offense. They also must have the intent. The defendants only talking about the plot vaguely and not doing anything to show evident intention is not enough to render a drug conspiracy. For example, they must have a specific place in mind to traffic drugs or something similar. Usually, drug conspiracies also result in execution—the absolute requirement for defendants to be charged with the crime and the appropriate penalties based on the result of their execution.
A drug conspiracy becomes a federal drug conspiracywhen the defendants contrived to target the United States, its agencies, and other national bodies. For example, the defendants had conspired together to sell drugs in a federal-owned land or had travelled across state lines just to make a drug deal.
Overt act
Another move made by the defendants that could downright try them for federal drug conspiracy is the overt act. In a way, an overt act is a more concrete form of intent, meaning there is tangible or clear evidence that can be produced out of them. A particular example of an overt act is the conspiring people purchasing drug paraphernalia used for manufacture and eventual sale of illegal substances. You can consult your trusted criminal justice attorney for further information about the overt act.
Penalties of federal drug conspiracy in Nevada
The punishments the conspiring offenders will face for a federal drug conspiracyis considerably harsher than the ones found in a state drug conspiracy. According to the Section 371 of the chapter for conspiracy in the United States Code, anyone guilty of federal conspiracy “shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.” The properties of the convicted can also be seized and their financial accounts immobilized if they have done costly damages to the federal government.
If, however, the commission of the said conspiracy only resulted to misdemeanor, then what penalties are intended for misdemeanor charges should be the only consequences that must be imposed to the offenders.
Federal drug conspiracyis a heavy violation to be convicted of. Enlist the help of criminal justice attorneys in Nevada to protect yourself from its hefty penalties!