Criminal Possession Of A Controlled Substance In The First Degree

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (NY PL 220.21) is Class A-I Felony in Rochester, and conviction can result in a minimum sentence of between 15-40 years, and as long as life in prison.

This is obviously an extremely serious charge.

There are two instances under which prosecutors use NY PL 220.21.

In the first, you are found to be in possession of eight or more ounces of a narcotic drug, or a mixture containing a narcotic drug.

This is a particularly dangerous allegation, because you may know for a fact that the mixture in question has been cut with some other substance and contains far less than eight ounces, but from the court’s point of view, it doesn’t matter.

In the second instance, possession of methadone in the amount of 5,760 milligrams or more will result in Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree charges.

If you’ve been charged under NY PL 220.21 in Rochester, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney right away, preferably before you answer questions in a police interview.

The attorneys at Friedman & Ranzenhofer successfully defend people in Rochester against even the most serious criminal charges.

If you or a family member are facing an arrest on criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, call us today at 585-484-7432 and speak to an experienced Rochester criminal defense attorney right away.