Possession with Intent to Distribute 100-440 Grams of Cocaine.
Officers saw L.T. exit a multiunit apartment complex while they prepared to execute a search warrant on a specific units inside the complex. In their police reports, the officers claimed they stopped L.T., searched his bag, and seized over 100 grams of cocaine. According the officers, they caught L.T. red-handed.
Mr. Bolotin worked on the defense team that annihilated the officers’ claims. During the search of the specific apartment, the officers did not find any mail, identification, or any other documents that indicated who lived in the apartment. Though the officers did not find any indicia of ownership, they took pictures of every room of the apartment. The officers also took pictures of the cocaine and L.T.’s bag, but never took pictures of the drugs inside the bag.
At trial, Mr. Bolotin and the defense team argued the officers were lying. L.T.’s bag never contained the drugs. Instead, the officers stopped L.T. after he exited the apartment complex and kept him in custody while they searched the specific unit apartment. When the officers found drugs inside the apartment, but nothing that indicated who lived in the unit, the cops made the decision to put the drugs on L.T. The jury agreed and found L.T. Not Guilty of all charges.
