What to Know If You Are Facing Heroin-Related Charges in Illinois

 Posted on July 08, 2022 in Drug Crimes

If you are charged with crimes related to heroin possession, sales, delivery, or trafficking, the results can be life-shattering. Heroin is considered a Class I drug, meaning that it has a high likelihood for abuse and has no accepted medical use. While punishments for some drugs like marijuana are slowly lifting, heroin-related offenses are still aggressively prosecuted, often resulting in severe penalties including substantial fines and prison time. Working with an experienced drug crimes defense attorney is essential.

Heroin Possession Penalties in Illinois

All heroin-related crimes are charged as a felony. Here are the potential penalties for heroin possession, which increase based on the amount of heroin found:

• Up to 15 grams is a Class 4 felony with a minimum 1 to 3-year sentence and up to $25,000 in fines.
• Between 15-100 grams is a Class 1 felony and carries a 4 to 15-year jail sentence with a fine of up to $200,000.
• Between 100-400 grams is charged as a Class X felony, with a minimum of 6 to 30 years in jail and a fine of up to $200,000.
• Between 400-900 grams is a Class X felony and carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 8-40 years plus up to $200,000 in fines.
• If you possess over 900 grams, you will be charged with a Class X felony and face a mandatory minimum prison term of between 10-50 years and a fine of up to $200,000.

For Class X felonies, the fines may be increased to the street value of the drugs if that amount exceeds $200,000. By possessing over 1/2 gram of heroin you could also be charged with distribution and face a minimum of three years in prison. If you were found possessing or distributing heroin within 1500 feet of a park, school, or place of worship, or if you were in possession of a gun when the arrest was made, penalties can increase dramatically.

Depending on the specifics of your case, we may recommend a plea deal or see a better opportunity by taking the case to trial. Defense strategies against heroin charges include a lack of possession or knowledge that the drugs were in your possession, faulty lab testing that gave an erroneous result, and violations of your Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizures or other procedural violations.

Contact a Joliet Heroin Crimes Defense Attorney

If you are facing heroin-related charges, do not delay in contacting our Will County lawyers for drug crimes. At Reeder & Brown, P.C., our experienced attorneys can act as your advocate and build up a strong defense to fight the charges. Heroin charges can be life-changing, so do not hesitate to call our office at 815-885-5980 to set up your free initial consultation.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=1941&ChapterID=53