When a person is released on parole, it is considered a criminal offense to violate the terms established as a condition of the parole. This can make the penalties harsher if one is already on parole and convicted of a subsequent criminal act. One man who was on parole for a drug dealing charge may be facing this possibility after he was arrested on drug charges for allegedly smoking crack cocaine with two women at his home in Ohio.
The 53-year-old man was allegedly smoking crack cocaine with a 41-year-old woman and a 25-year-old woman. The two women share a home with each other separate from the man’s home. The authorities charged all three of the suspects with crack cocaine possession, which is considered a felony charge. The police entered the man’s home at approximately 4 p.m. in early January.
The man was initially released on parole after serving time for a conviction in 2006. The man’s first conviction was for robbery, drug trafficking, felony evidence tampering and two counts of drug law violations. The man is now being held in jail without bond, while the two women were also put in jail. However, the women were later released pending court hearings.
Such drug charges as these against the defendants in Ohio should be taken seriously. The defendants will have the opportunity to prepare a strong defense strategy for their court case. However, fortunately for the defendants, they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This means that the burden of proof is on the prosecution to show that they are guilty of the crimes they have been accused of committing.
Source: CantonRep.com, “Drug dealer, 2 women caught smoking crack in Alliance,” Lori Monsewicz, Jan. 9, 2013