In Lexington, KY, just a little over 30 minutes north of Richmond, drivers will find a junction where interstates 64 and 75 meet. I-64 runs east to west, while I-75 goes north to south. This junction sits approximately six hours away from at least three major cities, Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta.
Not surprisingly, the four way directionality of this junction, and its central location to thriving metropolises where mass amounts of drugs are moved through, create an active drug super highway that has led to many traffic stops and drug arrests by Kentucky authorities.
Within the past four months, Kentucky Sheriff’s deputies have conducted operations called “high visibility drug interdiction patrols”. These involved targeting and stopping vehicles traveling along these roadways that were driving carelessly, or showed any minor vehicle violation. Once stopped, searches were performed that would turn up hidden drugs being transported. In one stop heroin was found hidden in fake soda cans. In another, pills and cocaine were found wrapped up in a lottery ticket. The crime rates in these areas have also seen an increase due to illicit drug activity.
Trafficking heroin, which has become a major crises across the entire country, is prosecuted in the state of Kentucky as a Class C felony. It may lead to up to 20 years in federal prison depending on how many previous violations an offender has, in addition to substantial fines. A person who has been charged with trafficking heroin, especially if it is a first offense, may greatly benefit from speaking with a criminal defense attorney who can possibly negotiate a plea deal.