There are numerous drug crimes you can be charged with here in North Carolina, including:

• Possession, selling, distribution, transporting, cultivation, and manufacturing of a multitude of different types of drugs;
• Possession of paraphernalia;
• Obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery;
• Maintaining a dwelling or motor vehicle to store drugs; and
• Trafficking

While all drug charges should be taken seriously, trafficking is one of the more serious crimes. Our state has even come up with its own guidelines for drug trafficking offenses instead of using the regular Structured Sentencing grid.

So let’s explore [...]

TSA agents have a pretty important job. They work hard to keep air travel safe and prevent people from smuggling dangerous and illegal materials on board. Due to the nature of their job, TSA agents are given access to materials and areas that most regular people are not.

When TSA agents use these benefits to engage in illegal acts, though, they are just as subject to the law as the rest of us. This is the lesson that nine TSA agents learned last month when they were arrested for using their badges to [...]

A Kinston physician must surrender his license as a part of his sentencing for drug trafficking charges.

Dr. Douglas Elry Watford, 60, of Kinston, had already gotten into hot water in March 2015 after he was disciplined by the North Carolina Medical board for violating controlled substance regulations. That same March, he was charged with violating federal regulations. Then he was arrested in April on six counts of illegally distributing hydrocodone and Xanax. The drugs are considered Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.

On April 8 of this year, [...]

Over the past several weeks, there has been an onslaught of drug trafficking news stories in North Carolina. What does this mean for our state and for those who are currently facing drug trafficking charges?

Let’s take a look at a few of the more prominent recent cases.

• Owners of the Animal Hospital of Nags Head in eastern North Carolina – Barrett and Patrice Welch – were arrested on felony drug trafficking charges for opium and heroin. The deputies of Dare County began an investigation when allegations arose that the Welches were inappropriately