In Illinois, drug crimes such as cocaine possession are aggressively prosecuted offenses that carry substantial penalties and fines. Today, we will discuss everything you need to know about cocaine possession charges, including penalties, what someone should do if they are ever charged with such a crime, and how a criminal defense lawyer can help you.
Penalties for Cocaine Possession
Cocaine possession in Illinois is almost always prosecuted as a felony offense. This means that if you are convicted, you will likely be facing jail time and fines. In Illinois, any amount of cocaine is considered a Class 4 Felony, which can land the accused in prison for 1-3 years. However, selling less than a gram of cocaine is a Class 2 felony and can land you in prison for 3-7 years.
Greater quantities of cocaine possession are punished even more harshly. Possession of 15-100 grams of cocaine is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Possession of 100-400 grams of cocaine is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Anything between 400 and 900 grams can result in prison for eight to 40 years. And finally, any amount of cocaine possession over 900 grams will likely constitute evidence of a more extensive drug operation network and, thus, may result in 10 to 50 years in prison. In addition, the fines associated with cocaine possession will likely reflect the street value of the substances involved. Fines max out at $200,000.
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