Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges Dismissed After Key Evidence Suppressed

What Happened

R.M. was pulled over on a routine traffic stop in Glendale by agents who claimed to have observed a minor vehicle code violation. During the stop, federal agents conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered controlled substances. Based on that evidence, R.M. was indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges under 21 U.S.C. § 846 — charges that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

R.M. contacted KN Law Firm immediately after being indicted. Attorney Chris Nalchadjian reviewed the case from the beginning and identified a critical issue with the initial traffic stop. The stop appeared pretextual — meaning the stated reason for pulling R.M. over did not hold up under scrutiny, and the real purpose appeared to be investigatory rather than enforcement of a traffic violation.

Federal drug conspiracy cases are among the most serious charges a person can face. The government only needs to prove an agreement to commit a drug offense — not that the drugs were actually distributed. With mandatory minimums in play and federal prosecutors carrying a conviction rate exceeding 90 percent, early and aggressive intervention by an experienced federal defense attorney is critical.

Attorney Chris immediately filed a motion to suppress all evidence obtained as a result of the unlawful stop. An evidentiary hearing was held in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. After examining the officers’ testimony and the circumstances of the stop, the court agreed that the stop lacked reasonable suspicion and constituted an unlawful seizure under the Fourth Amendment. All evidence was suppressed.

Without the physical evidence at the center of the conspiracy charge, the U.S. Attorney’s office had no viable path to prosecution and moved to dismiss all charges against R.M.

The Defense Strategy

We filed a motion to suppress all evidence obtained during the traffic stop, arguing that law enforcement lacked reasonable suspicion to initiate the stop under the Fourth Amendment. After an evidentiary hearing, the court agreed that the stop was pretextual and granted the suppression motion. Without the physical evidence — which included the controlled substances central to the
conspiracy charge — the U.S. Attorney's office had no viable case and moved to dismiss all charges.

What This Meant for the Client

Our client avoided a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He was able to return to his family, keep his job, and avoid the lifelong consequences of a federal felony conviction including loss of voting rights, firearm rights, and professional licensing.

Charges Involved