Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog

San Clemente, Orange County - San Diego police were conducting a checkpoint station near the San Clememte Border. Two unidentified men were caught in Orange County trying to smuggle 18 pounds of cocaine into the United States. The value of the cocaine is said to be about $300,000.

The deputies saw two men in a white Dodge truck on a Saturday morning. The deputies then questioned the men and ask where they were going. The men were questioned separately and each of their locations was different. The deputies then used police dogs to sniff around the truck. The dogs found the cocaine hidden in the truck.

Under California criminal law, drug crime charges are serious cases. There are several type of drug crime charges, such as drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, drug possession, drug possession with intent to sell, drug cultivation, money laundering or drug sale of an unlawful narcotic, including: heroin, LSD, meth, cocaine, crack, marijuana, methamphetamines, or illegal use controlled substances or unauthorized prescription medications.

In California, Drug offense is one of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes. Most of the drug crimes can be charged as felony charges. An Orange County Criminal Attorney, known as an Orange County and Los Angeles drug crime defense authority, Attorney Michael L. Guisti, has evaluated this case and he thinks this is a very serious offense. He comments that if these two drug traffickers are convicted, these two drug traffickers could face serious felony drug crime charges involving a federal crime.

In the State of California, transporting a controlled substance is a serious offense. If you or someone you love has been arrested or charged with any kind of felony drug crimes, whether in Orange County, Los Angeles or San Diego, you need to consult an experienced Southern California Drug Defense attorney for legal advice immediately. Our Orange County criminal attorney and Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have handled hundreds of drug cases on both state and federal level.

Under the California Heath and Safety Code 11352 any person who transports for sale any controlled substances shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or nine years.

Continue reading "Men Arrested for Drug Smuggling of 18 Pounds of Cocaine at Orange County Checkpoint" »

Fountain Valley, Orange County - Fountain Valley police go undercover at a local restaurant to investigate what is called "Bikini Night". Undercover police went to the restaurant Aysya after learning that on Sunday and Monday nights. The police were able to buy at the restaurant five ecstasy pills for fifty dollars from the waitress.

Three weeks later the undercover police went back to the restaurant looking to see if they were able to buy more. Police wrote in a search warrant. Three people have been charged with the selling of ecstasy pills to the undercover police. Among those charged are Vinh Pham Buu, the restaurant's owner, the waitress who sold the pills Cindy Thi Thuy Huynh, and John Phi Ma for supplying the pills that the detective bought.

In California, drug crimes involves illegal drugs or controlled substances can be charged with drug possession for Personal Use; possession of Drugs for Sale; drug trafficking (drug transporting, drug buying, drug selling); drug distributing; drug Cultivating or Manufacturing or drug conspiracy.

Under Calfornia Law, the possession of drugs with the intent to sell is a serious offense. The California Health and Safety Code 11352 states that any person that posses or tries to sell a controlled substances can be imprisoned. Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti who reviewed this case noted that drug crime cases are usually serious charges and mostly can be charged with felony charges and that people that face these charges can be imprisoned in the state prison for three, six or nine years.

Does this sound like a situation that you are in? Have you been charged with either selling or possessing controlled substance? Protect your freedom. At the Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, a leading Southern California Criminal Defense law firm, we can help you through this difficult time. Michael L. Guisti has the exceptional knowledge and experience in drug crime defense at both state and federal level. Our attorneys will provide you with the highest quality representation you need. Orange County criminal defense attorney Michael Guisti is very familiar with the court systems, prosecutors, judges in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside. He is often able to reduce a serious felony drug crime, to a lesser misdemeanor charge. We will put many years of our experience to work for you.

Continue reading "Fountain Valley Restaurant Owner Charged with Drug Sales to Undercovered Orange County Police" »

Costa Mesa, Orange County - The Orange County Register reports that Costa Mesa Police have served search warrants at the West Coast Wellness Center medical marijuana dispensary. The dispensary is located on the 1200 block of Logan Avenue . Three employees, ranging in age from 23 to 49 were booked on charges of illegally selling marijuana. A female customer was also cited for drug possession.

California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, allowing qualified patients to use marijuana for its medicinal properties. The law, however, did not establish a uniform, statewide framework for the distribution of the drug. Since then, cities have enacted conflicting approaches for regulating and sanctioning medical marijuana dispensaries. Costa Mesa prohibits such facilities from operating within its city limits.

Prop. 215 has also generated confusion regarding the legality of any marijuana sales. The face of the law prohibits sale of marijuana for profit, but allows qualified distributors to collect "reasonable compensation" for their services.

The three employees arrested in yesterday's raid will likely be charged under section 11360(a) of the California Health and Safety Code. That provision makes any unauthorized sale of marijuana a felony punishable by up to 4 years in state prison, depending on the quantity of marijuana sold and the defendant's prior record. The fourth suspect will most likely be charged under section 11357(b) of the Health and Safety Code. That provision makes possession of less than one ounce of cannabis by an adult a misdemeanor punishable by a $100 fine, unless she can provide proof that she uses marijuana pursuant to a doctor's recommendation or approval.

California Drug charges can be very serious, possibly resulting in lengthy prison sentences. Only an aggressive, experienced Southern California criminal defense attorney or Orange County Drug crime defense attorneys can help navigate the complicated judicial process and protect your legal rights. At Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, our Orange county criminal attorneys and Los Angeles drug crime defense lawyers have extensive experience in defending against all types of drug charges in both state and federal courts in Orang County, Los Angeles, San Diego and throughout Southern California. We represent clients who are accused of drug crimes, such as drug possession, drug transportation, drug cultivation and drug distribution. If you or someone you know has been accused of any drug-related offense, contact us immediately at 714-530-9690 to speak to our Orange County drug crime defense attorneys to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to protect your freedom or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com

Orange County - According to The Orange County Register, Matthew Barnard, of Corona, was formally arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia and possession of stolen property. Barnard was said to have attempted to pay for his meal at a local Arby's with counterfeit bills.

Orange County sheriff's deputies were called to an Arby's restaurant on Monday night after an employee at the Arby's called authorities to report that two customers had tried to pay for their Arby's meals with two counterfeit $20 bills. Upon further search, deputes also found more counterfeit bills.

California Penal Code Section 470(d)covers the crime of counterfeiting, and the statute makes clear that the counterfeiting of legal tender is a criminally sanctionable act with substantial penalties, which may include, but is not limited to, fines and/or jail/prison time. Moreover, possession of illegal narcotics is also a criminal act which carries penalties, including but not limited to, penalties and/or jail/prison time.

If you or your loved one have been charged or arrested for counterfeiting and/or possession of illegal narcotics, or related felonies and/or misdemeanors in the State of California, you need to consult with an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney or Southern California criminal lawyer to protect your rights and freedom. Criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti have handled hundreds of criminal cases in both state and federal court, including fraud, theft crimes, counterfeiting of money and drug possession, among many other crimes. Please contact our Orange County criminal defense attorney at 714-530-9690 or visit our website at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.

Orange County - Orange County Register reports that a Corona man, Matthew Barnard, was formally arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia and possession of stolen property. He was also charged with counterfeit of money.

Orange County sheriff's deputies were called to an Arby's restaurant on Monday night after an employee at the Arby's called authorities to report that two customers had tried to pay for their meals with two counterfeit $20 bills.

California Penal Code Section 470(d)covers the crime of counterfeiting, and the statute makes clear that the counterfeiting of legal tender is a criminally sanctionable act with substantial penalties, which may include, but is not limited to, fines and/or jail/prison time. Moreover, possession of illegal narcotics is also a criminal act which carries penalties, including but not limited to, penalties and/or jail/prison time.

If you or your loved one have been charged or arrested for counterfeiting and/or possession of illegal narcotics, or related felonies and/or misdemeanors in the State of California, you need to consult with an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney or Southern California Theft Crime Defense Attorney to protect your rights and freedom.

Orange county Criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti have handled hundreds of criminal cases in both state and federal court, including fraud, theft crimes, counterfeiting of money and drug possession, among many other crimes. Please contact our Orange County criminal defense attorney at 714-530-9690 or visit our website at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.

The Orange County Register reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents recently seized $356,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine in San Clemente after agents conducted a stop of a Dodge Durango truck which was headed north on the Interstate 5 at around 11:15 a.m. last Thursday. Evidently, the driver of the Dodge Durango granted the agents permission to search his car, after which the narcotics in question were discovered.

Narcotics trafficking and drug possession is a serious criminal offense which carries substantial penalties, fines and/or jail/prison time, contingent on factors such as the amount trafficked and the amount of drugs discovered on the suspect. If you or your loved one have been charged or arrested for narcotics trafficking and/or drug possession, drug for sale, or related felony drug crime charges in the State of California, it is imperative to consult with an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney or Southern California drug crime defense attorney to protect your rights and ensure your liberties and freedom.

Orange County Criminal defense lawyers at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti have many years of experience handling serious criminal cases in both state and federal court, and are adept at handling cases in order to ensure that their clients receive a fair and speedy trial. Our Southern California criminal defense attorneys have represented clients charged with felony drug crimes throughout California, including Orange County, San Diego, Los angeles,Riverside and San Bernardino.

If you have any questions regarding the California drug crime defense, please contact us for a free consultation at 714-530-9690 or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.

According to Orange County Register that surprisingly some of the safest Orange County's cities have been added to the list of the cities with more violent crimes this year, even though the number of crimes nationwide has been dropped dramatically this year.

According to the report, some of the cities in Orange County which used to be considered as violent crime cities have reportedly seen improvement this year, cities such as Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Anaheim, Garden Grove and Orange.

Irvine, the safest city in the county with lowest crime rate, has seen violent crime increased significantly. The reported violent crimes have increased 42 percent
Irvine city has reported more felony crimes on the rise in some serious criminal charges, such as grand theft, assault and battery, assault with deadly weapon, domestic violence, fraud, white collar crime, embezzlement, aggravated assaults and violent crimes. However, Irvine is still considered as the safest city to live as the rate of the violent crimes is only 3.9 per 10,000 residents.

The reported violent crimes in the city of Costa Mesa and Fullerton are also on the rise. Costa Mesa has a 15 percent rise on the violent crimes and Fullerton has a reported 40 percent of the increase for violent crimes.

In Orange County, murder crimes dropped by 10 percent in 2009. In Orange County rape charges have been decreased by 3.3 percent and robbery dropped by 6.5 percent.

If you or your loved one has been charged or arrested for violent crimes or any type of crimes, either a felony or misdemeanor, you need to hire an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney or Southern California criminal lawyer to protect your right and freedom. Criminal defense attorneys at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti have handled hundreds of criminal cases in both state and federal court, including assault and battery, domestic violence, appeals, unlawful firearms, white collar crimes,
embezzlement, grand theft, murder, sex crimes, robbery, aggravated assault, fraud, prostitution, vehicular manslaughter, DUI, Driving under the influence and drug crimes. Our criminal defense attorneys have the exceptional knowledge in law, the connections and resources and the expertise to prevail in your defense.

Santa Ana has been considered the city with the highest crimes in the county, but the number of the crime has been dropped 5 percent. Santa Ana common violent crimes such as Murder, three strikes, assault and batter, robbery, aggravated assault, and grand theft have been all decreased.

However, Santa Ana has reported much higher number of homicides this year than other cities.

Whether you have been charged with a felony crime or misdemeanor in Santa Ana, Irvine, Newport Beach, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Anaheim, Orange, Costa Mesa, or any cities in Orange County, you should contact a skilled Orange County criminal defense attorney at Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti immediately. Please contact us at 714-530-9690 for a free consultation to discuss more about your criminal charges or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.

WESTMINSTER, Orange County - A Fountain Valley store owner was arrested for marijuana sale at his store. Bigira KiroKiro will be in Westminster West Justice Center for his charge on selling marijuana. He has been charged with a felony count of sale or transport of marijuana, felony possession for sale charge. He is facing felony charge of opening a location for selling drugs. A Fountain Valley police detective went to the store and asked to buy some drugs. Later, they found marijuana and some drugs in the office and car.

Possession of drugs with the intent to sell, or the actual sale of drugs is a serious crime and a felony under California law. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 11352, "Every person who transports, imports into this state, sells, furnishes, administers, or gives away, or offers to transport, import into this state, sell, furnish, administer, or give away, or attempts to import into this state or transport [...a controlled substance...] shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, four, or five years." Also, even misdemeanor drug charges can lead to prison time, heavy fines, and community service. Therefore, if you have been charged with any drug crime in Southern California, you need to hire an expert criminal defense attorney that has experience in defending drug charges.

Why hire an experienced Orange County drug crimes defense attorney?

Experienced criminal defense attorneys know that district attorneys have a lot of prosecutorial discretion when it comes to the prosecution of drug crimes. Here at the Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, our Orange County criminal defense lawyers have defended their clients from drug charges for over a decade. We have built professional relationships with many district attorneys and prosecutors, and we have been able to put these relationships to work for our clients' benefit. Often times, we are able to have a serious feloney drug crimes charge reduced to a lesser misdemeanor charge, or negotiate plea deals so that our clients do not have to spend any time in prison.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Southern California, please call us today at (714) 530-9690 for a free consultation with one of our experienced Orange County criminal defense attorneys. Let us put our expertise and experience to work for you in your drug crimes defense case.

TUSTIN, Orange County - A Huntington Beach man and a Tustin woman has been arrested for growing marijuana in their baby's room. Stephen Casino, of Huntington Beach, and Tina Turrieta, of Tustin, have been both arrested. They are facing charges of felony child endangerment, according to the Tustin Police.

According to California law, if a person permits a child to be in a situation that child's health or safety is endangered, he could be convicted of felony child endangerment. Police found two dozen plants in the apartment. California law only allows marijuana patients to grow 12 plants per person.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Orange County - Huntington Beach surf legend, Joey Hawkins, was arrested for drug crime and gun crime. He has been charged with being under the influence of methamphetamine (meth) while having an unlawful firearm with him in Huntington Beach.

He was charged with 2 felony counts of drug possession, possession of methamphetamine and illegal firearms.

He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of drugs and possession of controlled substance. He also has an sentensing enhancement for having a gun while committing a felony.

He doesn't have any prior felony criminal record in Orange County, is held in Orange County jail. The next court hearing is set in the Westminster Courthouse.

San Clemente, Orange County - A drug dealer has been arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling. From his truck, border patrol has found 15 pounds, $356,000 worth of an illegal drug, crystal methamphetamine (meth), a very addictive narcotic. It has been seized by U.S. Border Patrol in Orange County close to San Diego.

Recently, there are more drug crimes, illegal drug smuggling and drug trafficking crimes due to more patrol this year. Cocaine seizures have also jumped significantly this year compared to last year.

Under California criminal law, drug crimes in California are very serious crimes, it can be charged as misdemeanor or felony, but most of the California drug crimes are charged with felony. If convicted, the penalties are severe, depending on the seriousness of the case and the circumstances. The penalties usually carry heavy punishment and consequences, such as jail or prison time, substantial fines, probation, and a criminal record can affect your life and career.

The California drug crimes are one of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes, The common drug related crimes we are specialized in including: Distributing drugs, Drug manufacturing, Drug possession, Drug trafficking, Possession of a controlled substance, Possession with intent to sell and Drug for sell.

If you have been arrested for drug crimes, it is imperative that you hire an experienced California Drug Crimes Attorney to represent you and protect your rights. Proposition 36 provides first time drug offenders with probation and drug programs for an alternative to jail. At Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, our Orange County criminal defense attorneys represent clients both in State and federal level throughout Southern California, Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino.

Continue reading "Southern California Drug Trafficking for Large Quantity of Meth in Drugs Crimes" »

Orange County - Four men from Orange County were arrested for distributing drugs under Mexican drug cartels. The Orange County cell distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

Jesus Ortiz is the head of the Orange County distribution cell for transporting methamphetamine, cocaine and heroine from Mexico to the U.S.

This week, police have seized large amount of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. It is believed that the cartel organized drug crimes have distributed large portions of methamphetamines and transporting from Mexico to the U.S .

A drug crime is defined as a criminal involving the manufacturing, trafficking, possession, or sale of an unlawful narcotic, such as: heroin, LSD, cocaine, crack, marijuana, methamphetamines, and unauthorized prescription medications.

Most of the drug crimes are charged as felony charges. It is one of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes. Drug crimes include: drug possession, drug possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, drug distribution, drug cultivation, and money laundering.

Drug Crime is a serious charge, it can be charged as misdemeanor or felony. It has server consequences and punishment. The punishment includes, prison time, large fines, probation, restitution, etc:

Drug crime charges and legal penalties will depend upon the severity of the drug crime, the name of the drug, and quantity of the drug under possession. Another factor is the prior criminal records. The repeated offender usually is subject to enhanced sentensing.

If you or someone you know has been arrested for drug crimes attorney, it is vital to seek legal help from an experienced drug crimes attorney who is aggressive, knowledgeable and skilled in drug crime defense.

Continue reading "Orange County Men Arrested for Drug Crimes under Cartel " »

MISSION VIEJO, Orange County - Orange County Register reports that a Mexican man was arrested on Wed for smuggling more than 800 pounds of marijuana in an SUV.

The US Border Patrol Agent in Orange County stopped the vehicle on 5-freeway and started searching the SUV, and found 30 bundles of marijuana which weigh 839 pounds, the value of marijuana worth $503,712. The drug trafficker has been taken to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Under California law, drug crime is a serious crime. It defines as unlawful possession, use, sale or furnishing of drugs. Most of drug offenses are felony charges and possession for any amount of cocaine is a felony.

The penalties for Southern California Drug crimes are serious. The consequences could have a big impact on one's life and future. The severity of the charges depends on the amount, the purpose of the possession of drugs and prior criminal records.

California Drug Crime Defense requires special skills and knowledge in a Southern California drug crimes defense Attorney, hiring the right Orange County criminal defense lawyer makes your drug crime case a big difference. At Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti, we have successfully represented hundreds of clients in felony drug crimes in Orange County (Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Laguna Niguel, Westminster, Tustin, Irvine, Anaheim, Costa Mesa), Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino in both state and federal courts.

Continue reading "Man Faces Felony Drug Crime Charges in Orange County in Marijuana Possession for Drug Transportation" »

SANTA ANA, Orange County - Santa Ana drug dealer, Guadalupe Serna, of Santa Ana, was convicted of murdering Ryan Todd, who stole cocaine from him. Serna was convicted of first-degree murder and sentencing enhancement for killing with firearm. He could face 50 years to life in prison.

Todd took cocaine from Serna in Santa Ana without paying him and ran away in a cab. Serna killed him by a firearm.

Drug crimes are serious crimes, it can be charged as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the crime, type of controlled substances, the amount of drugs, the purpose of the drugs involved and the criminal records of the accused. However, most of the drug crimes are charged as felony.

Our criminal lawyers and drug defense attorneys have earned the reputation of aggressive Southern California drug crime defense in fighting for clients against drug and narcotics charges in the drug crimes: Including:

Drug possession (HS Code 11351), Possession of Marijuana; Distributing drugs, Drug manufacturing, Drug trafficking, Transportation or sale of a controlled substance (HS Code 11352), Cultivation of Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine (HS Code 11377), Possession for Sale of Narcotics; Production of Narcotics; Possession with intent to sell, Selling drugs, Possession of Controlled Substance (HS Code 11350), possession or possession for sales of cocaine, meth, ecstasy, vicodin, and prescription drugs.

Our Orange County criminal defense lawyer and drug crimes defense attorney specializes in Orange County Drugs, involves controlled substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, PCP, LSD, heroin, methamphetamine / meth, ecstasy, MDMA. Our experienced Orange County criminal defense attorneys represent clients in Newport Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Westminster and Fullerton.

Continue reading "Santa Ana Drug dealer convicted of Murder" »

Orange County - Two Anaheim men were arrested for drug crimes, marijuana cultivating and running marijuana growing operation in Los Angeles.

Orange County register reports that Los Angeles County police arrested the two Anaheim men Tuesday night on suspicion of cultivating marijuana. 2,399 marijuana plants have been confiscated by police. The marijuana plants are about to be in harvest around this time.

Under California law, drug crimes in California are very serious charges depending on the seriousness and circumstances of the case. If it is convicted, it can carry severe punishment, including substantial fines, jail time, probation and a drug criminal record.

Our criminal lawyers and drug defense attorneys have experience and record of success in fighting for clients against drug and narcotics charges in the drug crimes, including Drug possession (HS Code 11351), Distributing drugs, Drug manufacturing, Drug trafficking, Transportation or sale of a controlled substance (HS Code 11352), Possession of Methamphetamine (HS Code 11377), Possession with intent to sell, Selling drugs, Possession of Controlled Substance (HS Code 11350), possession or possession for sales of cocaine, meth, ecstasy, vicodin, and prescription drugs.

If you have been arrested for drug crime in Southern California, it is imperative to seek console with an experienced California Drug crimes lawyer or Orange County criminal defense attorney immediately, Contact the Law Offices of Michael L. Guisti today for a free consultation for your drug offense charge..

Continue reading "Anaheim men arrested for Drug Crimes and Marijuana Charges" »