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A drug trafficking investigation is usually months in the making by the time charges are filed, with wiretaps, informants, surveillance, and seized phones already in the government’s hands. Drug trafficking generally refers to large-scale distribution, including moving significant quantities of drugs, supplying other sellers, transporting drugs across state lines, or taking part in a distribution network. These cases can be charged in Indiana state court as high-level dealing, or in federal court, where the penalties are often much more severe.
Indiana law doesn’t use the word trafficking for drug sales. Instead, the state charges large-scale cases as dealing, and the highest levels apply to larger amounts. Dealing 10 grams or more of cocaine, methamphetamine, or a narcotic drug like heroin or fentanyl is generally a Level 2 felony, carrying 10 to 30 years, and dealing 10 pounds or more of marijuana is a Level 5 felony. Federal law treats trafficking even more harshly. Under federal statutes, possession with intent to distribute certain amounts triggers mandatory minimum sentences, including five years for 40 grams of a fentanyl mixture, 100 grams of a heroin mixture, or 500 grams of a cocaine mixture, and ten years for ten times those amounts. A prior serious drug conviction can increase those minimums further.
Many trafficking cases are charged as conspiracies, which means a person can be held responsible for drug quantities they never personally handled, as long as the government can tie them to the agreement. That makes it critical to examine exactly what the evidence shows about each person’s role. The defense often focuses on how wiretaps and search warrants were obtained, whether phone extractions and location data were collected lawfully, the credibility of cooperating witnesses who are trying to reduce their own sentences, and whether drug weights attributed to a defendant are actually supported. Trafficking cases also commonly involve civil or criminal forfeiture, where the government seeks to take cash, vehicles, or property it claims are connected to drug activity.
At RileyCate, we defend state and federal trafficking cases, including conspiracy charges, cases built on wiretaps and cooperating witnesses, and cases involving asset forfeiture. In federal court, outcomes are shaped by the sentencing guidelines and by relief options like the safety valve, which can allow a sentence below the mandatory minimum for qualifying defendants. For smaller cases, our Drug Dealing page explains how Indiana grades dealing charges, and our Drug Charges page covers the full range of drug offenses.
Trafficking cases put people up against well-funded investigations and long mandatory sentences, which is exactly when trial-tested defense attorneys matter most. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our criminal defense team. Russell Cate has more than 19 years of experience and has been selected as a Super Lawyer since 2013, and Will Riley’s Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and AV Preeminent recognition reflects the kind of trial-tested credibility that carries weight with prosecutors and judges alike. Both have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court, bringing appellate depth to cases where a suppression or sentencing ruling may need to be challenged.
Will and Russell personally oversee every case we take on, staffing it with the attorneys, associates, and staff the matter calls for based on its size and complexity, so you get responsive, informed representation from the outset.
Nobody plans to need a lawyer. When something goes wrong, what you need first is someone who will listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and take the next steps off your plate. That is how every case at RileyCate, LLC begins.
We represent individuals, families, and small businesses across Fishers, Indianapolis, and surrounding counties in personal injury and complex litigation, business and real estate disputes, criminal defense, and appeals.
Will Riley and Russell Cate personally oversee every matter, staffing each case to its size and complexity. Both are recognized as Super Lawyers and have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Will also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation.
We are trial-tested, not just settlement-focused. We have tried hundreds of cases, because insurance companies, opposing businesses, and prosecutors negotiate differently with a firm willing to go the distance.
If you’re under investigation or have been charged with drug trafficking, the earliest stages of the case can affect detention, cooperation decisions, and sentencing exposure for years to come. We offer a consultation to review the charges and explain your options. Reach out to RileyCate today to speak with a drug trafficking attorney.
