Columbia attorney goes over consequences of possessing and trafficking fentanyl

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ.)

A woman has been charged with drug trafficking in Boone County after officials found a medicine bottle containing fentanyl on the suspect. 

Karen Polito is charged with trafficking drugs.

Adam Dowling, an attorney at Eng & Woods Law Firm, says in some cases you could face anywhere between three years to life in prison if you're caught trafficking fentanyl. 

A conviction for a drug crime in Missouri could mean a lengthy prison sentence and a criminal record that will follow you for years. 

Cole County attorney Locke Thompson says that even if someone is caught trafficking a small amount it can result in major penalties.

"If anyone is caught with any amount of fentanyl even a very low amount is needed in order to charge trafficking just because it is an incredibly dangerous drug," said Thompson.

The time you could spend behind bars ranges anywhere between as little as three years or the rest of your life. Dowling told ABC 17 what charges you should expect if you're caught trafficking this dangerous opioid. 

"If it would be 10 milligrams or less you'd be looking at a C felony…3 to 10 years. If it was more than 10 milligrams it would be a class B felony. 5 to 15 years," said Dowling.

If you're carrying 20 milligrams or more of fentanyl you'd be looking at a class A felony which could range between 10 years to life in prison Dowling says.

However, according to Thompson, life-changing consequences aren't stopping some people in Missouri from dealing out these kinds of drugs. 

"There's certainly over the past few years there's been an increase in the number of cases where fentanyl is a factor," said Thompson.