Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman from the Granite City area on charges of drug-induced homicide. Drug induced homicide is more serious than other drug trafficking crimes because prosecutors are attempting to hold alleged drug dealers responsible for the death of one of their customers. In this case, authorities say that the couple provided a 48-year-old customer with fentanyl and that he overdosed on the drug.

Fentanyl is a strong narcotic analgesic used as a painkiller. It is up to 100 times stronger than morphine and is highly addictive because the effects of fentayl are relatively short-lived. Many fentanyl overdoses are often misclassified as heroin overdoses and individuals who are sold fentanyl under the impression that it is heroin are more likely to overdose.

Authorities initially charged the Granite City couple with unlawful delivery of a drug but then upped the charges to drug-induced homicide after toxicology tests revealed that the customer had died of a fentanyl overdose.

Dealing in narcotics is a serious offense and can have many collateral consequences for a defendant. Those who are convicted of drug trafficking typically face issues obtaining lawful employment and housing after their conviction. This makes rebuilding one's life after a conviction extremely difficult. Job training programs and colleges also view drug-related arrests as disqualifying issues, limiting a person's opportunities to embark on successful careers in the future.

A criminal defense attorney can help individuals challenge the government's drug charges against them. Evidentiary issues or mitigating circumstances may result in a plea deal that drastically reduces or eliminates a defendant's charges. A criminal defense attorney can also help defendants who are overcharged given what they are accused of doing.

Source: Post-Dispatch, "Two from Granite City area accused of drug-induced homicide," Terry Hillig, Jan. 17, 2012