New York, like other states, is often the scene of drug crimes and overdoses. However, as unfortunate as such events may be, it doesn’t give police reason to make arrests or prosecutors to file drug charges against people without probable cause to do so. Authorities say they have such cause in a case related to two men who now stand accused in federal court of selling illegal drugs.
The situation initially unfolded when a local school teacher was found dead of a drug overdose. The man had reportedly struggled with alcohol and drug addiction off and of throughout his life. He was found dead in one of the bathrooms inside the school where he taught special needs children.
Police investigating the case say they noticed the letter “K” in the contact list of his cell phone. They claim they now know the identification of the person labeled with a single alphabetical letter in the man’s phone list. They also say they believe the person had several conversations with the school teacher before he died.
What’s more, they claim that person and another man sold the teacher illegal drugs. The men, both age 31, were charged with conspiracy to sell drugs as well as other charges involving fentanyl and heroin distribution. One of the man faces up to 20 years in prison if the court convicts him of the drug charges. Like anyone charged with such crimes in New York or elsewhere, each of the men will have the opportunity to present a strong defense in the hope of preserving their freedom.
Source: The New York Times, “Two Men Charged in Bronx Teacher’s Overdose Death“, Jan Ransom, April 8, 2018