I-65 Drug Interdiction Stops
Drug stops along I-65 are a common starting point for charges in Lebanon, IN. Many motorists driving through Boone County will spend at least some time on I-65 at some point. Connecting Indianapolis, Lafayette, and Chicago, I-65 cuts right through central Indiana. Recently, I-65 has seen an influx of traffic stops seeking out alleged drug trafficking offenses. If you are pulled over, you could find yourself fighting drug trafficking charges in Lebanon, Indiana.
About The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C.
The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C., is an Indiana criminal defense law firm that represents clients in criminal cases across the state. Our firm consists of five of Indiana’s six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists and more than 100 years of collective experience in criminal defense of serious felony offenses and interstate drug matters.
Our legal team also includes a former prosecutor who tried major felony cases and homicides. As former prosecutors, we understand how drug trafficking cases are built by prosecutors and how they try to create a narrative with the evidence they have.
We work together on most cases with multiple attorneys and a paralegal reviewing the investigative file. This allows us to spread out the large quantities of digital evidence we frequently receive in discovery. It also allows us to prepare thoroughly for your very serious criminal allegations and to be responsive when you need us.
Why I-65 Drug Stops Are So Common
In fiscal year 2025, the United States Sentencing Commission received reports of 66,662 cases, 16,234 of which involved drugs. Drug trafficking was involved in 16,144 of those incidents. Ninety-eight percent of drug trafficking offenses include seven categories of drugs.
State and federal law enforcement personnel investigate crimes in areas they believe are high-risk or known to be used in transporting drugs, money, or weapons. Interstate 65 is a convenient route for traveling to many different states, making it a popular highway for law enforcement to patrol.
Drug Enforcement Agency Task Forces and narcotics investigators pay close attention to highways they believe are being used to transport narcotics, money, or illegal contraband into and out of cities. Commonly, police pull you over for what they claim is a minor traffic violation, such as:
- Speeding
- Following too close
- Illegal lane change
- Tinted windows
- Broken taillight
Once the traffic stop is initiated, police officers will often prolong your interaction with them by asking to search your vehicle, questioning passengers about their travel destination, or calling for a narcotics detection dog. In drug trafficking cases, prosecutors many times later claim that the traffic stop revealed evidence justifying possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy, or trafficking charges.
Vehicle Searches and Constitutional Issues
Our firm frequently litigates whether the traffic stop was lawful and constitutional. Another big issue in many Lebanese drug trafficking attorney cases is whether the subsequent search was constitutional.
Police must have a legal justification to pull you over. They also must work within the confines of the Constitution as to how long they can detain you and whether they can conduct further searches. Some of these issues include:
- Was the traffic stop lawful?
- Did police unlawfully prolong your stop?
- Was your consent given voluntarily?
- Did police have probable cause to search your vehicle?
- Was the K-9 sniff lawful?
- Were any phone searches conducted lawfully?
There are many seemingly minor constitutional issues that can arise during a traffic stop. Small violations of your rights can become very important in felony drug trafficking cases. Digital evidence has become a common feature of drug stops. Police may seize phones and look through GPS location information or try to unlock phones related to the alleged trafficking crime.
Drug Trafficking Charges in Indiana
Drug trafficking charges in Indiana are serious felony charges that come with hefty drug trafficking penalties. Allegations that include high amounts of controlled substances, interstate transportation claims, or accusations of distribution are punishable by long prison sentences. Some of the most common drug trafficking charges that prosecutors may file include:
- Trafficking methamphetamine
- Trafficking cocaine
- Distributing fentanyl
- Trafficking prescription pills
- Drug trafficking conspiracy
- Possessing a controlled substance with the intent to sell
FAQs
What Is the Charge of Drug Trafficking in Indiana?
Indiana doesn’t have a crime specifically called drug trafficking. The most common charges for drug trafficking are dealing, possession with intent to sell, or conspiracy to commit drug offenses. Depending on the drug type and amount, previous record, gun allegations, and whether the prosecutor alleges interstate transportation or an organized manner of distribution relating to the case, trafficking allegations may be made.
What Quantity of Drugs Does It Take to Be Considered Trafficking?
No single quantity will automatically determine trafficking in Indiana. Prosecutors may consider drug quantity, along with factors like packaging materials, cash, scales, communications, or even alleged distribution when deciding whether to file charges that include trafficking.
Large quantities are more likely to lead to dealing or intent-to-distribute charges. However, Indiana allows for very serious felony charges even for selling or transporting smaller amounts of drugs.
How Do I Beat a Trafficking Charge in Indiana?
Defense against a trafficking charge may include attacking the traffic stop and search executed in connection with the arrest. Witness statements, computer forensics, and drug testing may also come into play. Illegal searches and seizures, absence of possession, invalid confidential informant testimony, and lack of evidence connecting the defendant to the purported distribution are potential legal issues in these cases.
Is Trafficking of a Controlled Substance a Felony in Indiana?
Yes. Drug trafficking, dealing, or distribution charges are typically charged as felonies in Indiana. The charges could range from lower-level felonies to very serious offenses that carry potential sentences of multiple decades in prison, depending on the drugs involved and the amount. The prosecutor could also seek sentence enhancements for firearms, transportation across state lines, prior convictions, or dealing in fentanyl or methamphetamine.
Hire a Drug Trafficking Lawyer Today
The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C., concentrates solely on criminal defense work throughout Indiana. Hire the drug trafficking lawyers who have five of the six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists appointed by Indiana. We understand drug trafficking laws and can help you in the legal process. Contact us today for a consultation.
*Andrew Baldwin, Kathy Perry, Kelly Pyle, Maxwell Wiley, and Michael C. Cunningham are Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists, as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Find out why having a Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist as your defense lawyer is important here.