What to Expect if your Case is Prosecuted by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
If you or a loved one has a case that has been transferred to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP), consult with an attorney immediately. The Law Office of Dusenberry & Dusenberry is available for consultations 7 days a week. We have successfully defended many high-profile narcotics cases being prosecuted by the SNP.
The SNP takes over investigations into New York City’s most serious drug crimes. These include charges of Operating as a Major Drug Trafficker - PL 220.77 - and other A-I and A-II felony crimes, such as Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, PL 220.21, and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, PL 220.43. These include high-weight drug charges, such as possession or sale of a kilo of narcotics. Lower weights can land in the SNP if there are other serious factors in the case, such as when a large distribution network is being investigated, or when guns and violence have been linked to the transportation and sale of the drugs in the investigation.
All SNP cases are transferred to Manhattan court.
As a prosecuting attorney office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor has its own Investigations Division, and works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including:
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Postal Service, New York State Police, New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Port Authority Police, New York City Police Department's Organized Crime Control Bureau, and Homeland Security Investigations.
In many cases with the SNP, the government tries to get much higher sentences than the regular District Attorney - often asking for life sentences, and fines up to $100,000. Many cases in the SNP have bail set above half a million dollars. First-time offenders who are considered non-major drug traffickers may only be punished by 1-2 years in prison, while major drug traffickers could face 15 years to life behind bars. The minimum fine is $5,000, while the maximum could be double the defendant’s profit from the commission of the intended drug sale, or $100,000.
Built on a task force model, the SNP has authority to prosecute felony cases involving narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and addictive pills, and related crimes such as weapons sales and possession. SNP was created in 1971 to address the flow of drugs and drug-related violence, as well as illicit prescription drug distribution networks, that enter into the city from ports and other points of entry and flow through the five boroughs.
The SNP is a special prosecutor’s office that can prosecute cases throughout the city, allowing for larger cases and investigators. It is staffed with the most experienced prosecutors hand-selected from the Narcotics Bureaus in NYC’s five borough District Attorney’s offices.
The city’s five District Attorneys appoint the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and assign Assistant District Attorneys to serve in SNP. All of SNP’s wiretap investigations are overseen by the District Attorneys.
If you have a criminal charge being prosecuted by the SNP, call now for a consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney at Dusenberry & Dusenberry.
Please call 718-625-1777 for a FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION!
Matthew Dusenberry is a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Brooklyn, New York.
Harry Dusenberry has practiced Criminal Defense and DWI Law in New York City for over 40 years.
Law Office of Dusenberry & Dusenberry, 107 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. 718-625-1777.
Web: Dusenberrylaw.com
