The Gwinnett County District Attorney (DA) announced in early March that she’s doing her part to tackle her jurisdiction’s problem with opioids. She reported that she would continue to aggressively prosecute anyone suspected of manufacturing or distributing opioids in the county.
What’s at the roots of Gwinnett’s drug problem?
The DA mentioned that the county had seen an uptick in cases involving distributors peddling drugs resembling prescription painkillers like hydrocodone and oxycodone in recent years. The DA noted that while these pills look one way, they often have a high fentanyl content, a synthetic opioid, which often results in life-threatening complications or a user’s death.
Of most concern to the DA are county medical examiner records showing that 66 individuals died due to drug overdoses in 2019. She notes that at least 25 of them are attributable to fentanyl overdoses. At least 59 individuals died from drug overdoses in 2020.
How drug charges can escalate to murder charges
Gwinett County’s DA notes that her office has successfully indicted at least three defendants in recent years on both drug and murder charges. She said that the suspects in each of the cases were known to distribute fentanyl-laced drugs in the county, resulting in the users’ deaths.
The DA notes that she plans to continue prosecuting any individuals who manufacture or distribute opioids in the county to the fullest extent allowable by law in hopes of protecting area residents.
You should take any drug charges seriously, as you may face additional penalties as per the example above, dependent on the circumstances surrounding your Lawrenceville case. An attorney can help you devise a defense against the Georgia drug charges that you face.
