how much time does a conspiracy cocaine charge of 500 gr carry in federal court?
There are two primary factors which impact on a drug sentence in federal court: a mandatory minimum and the federal sentencing guidelines, based on drug quantity, role in the offense etc, which are advisory. Regarding a possible mandatory minimum sentence, the federal statute 21 USC 841, provides for a mandatory five year sentence for offenses involving 500 grams or more of powder cocaine. If the defendant has a prior drug conviction, this mandatory minimum can be greater or enhanced. It gets complicated. There are at least two ways by which a criminal defendant can be sentenced below the mandatory minimum: 1) the first is if the defendant is eligible for whats known as the safety valve, primarily an individual who has no prior criminal record + some additional requirements (18 USC 3553 (f) or 2) the defendant cooperates with the government and the government files whats known as a “5K.” and is provided for by 18 USC 3553 (e). This is very general information, the analysis of a potenti
