A Long Island school bus driver has pleaded not guilty after being indicted on drug trafficking charges. Authorities claim that the accused woman sold heroin in between driving children to and from school. With children being involved, though tangentially, there is a good chance that prosecutors will be aggressive in their pursuit of this case.
The woman’s boyfriend is currently behind bars. Whether he is serving a sentence or is awaiting trial is not made clear by WCBS-TV. Authorities claim that the boyfriend would call the woman from jail and direct her to sell heroin that was supplied by a second man.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota, the woman would sell the heroin at the bus depot after delivering children to school, and then again after her afternoon route. She is alleged to have sold drugs to two undercover police officers.
The charge of criminal sale of a controlled substance surprised the defendant’s friends. Her attorney said that his client has a great reputation and has never had an issue with her employer. The prosecutor acknowledged that there is no evidence that the defendant sold drugs to students or drove the bus while impaired.
The defendant was being held on a $100,000 bond, an indication of how serious the charge against her is. Her boyfriend and the second man have also been charged.
Drug trafficking charges may carry a lengthy potential jail or prison sentence, along with heavy fines, if you are convicted. It is important to take such charges seriously, which means that a defense attorney may be necessary.