An Undercover Drug Purchase at a College Dormitory

People who never went to college are horrified by the tales that college graduates tell of all the trouble they made while they were in college and got away from it. It is as if graduation wiped away four years of hedonism and audacity. College graduates whose children are sending out their college applications are hoping that times have changed, and indeed many party schools have successfully lived down their reputation, and many of today’s students care more about graduating with as little debt as possible and about qualifying for a career that brings financial stability or non-material rewards than they do about having as much fun as possible and about cheating death with their dangerous stunts. In most regards, the law treats crimes the same way regardless of where they occur, but there are several key differences regarding drug offenses that happen on college campuses, besides that any students involved might face disciplinary action from the university separate from any proceedings in criminal court. The crime is more serious if it takes place on a university campus, since universities legally count as drug free zones, but the penalties may be less severe if the defendant is a young student. Here, our Miami drug crimes defense lawyer explains how a student at Florida Atlantic University could face criminal penalties for drug trafficking after allegedly selling controlled substances to an undercover law enforcement officer.

If Everyone Does Drugs in Colleges, How Are University Campuses a Drug Free Zone?

If illegal drugs are illegal everywhere, then isn’t everywhere a drug free zone or, in the case of controlled substances which are legal only in medical settings, is everywhere a drug free zone except hospitals and pharmacies? Florida law recognizes certain buildings and the 1,000-foot radius around them as drug free zones, where drug possession and other drug-related offenses carry more severe penalties than they would if they had happened somewhere else. The rationale behind drug free zones is that children and other vulnerable people are likely to be there. The following places count as drug free zones in Florida:

• Children’s daycare centers and preschools
• Elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools
• Colleges and universities
• Public parks
• Assisted living facilities
• Houses of worship
• Community centers

Pre-Recorded Buy Money Is Cash With an Evil Twin

Selling controlled substances outside the context of a licensed pharmacy with proper instructions from a doctor is against the law no matter how you pay for it. People often pay for drugs with cash, and that was the only option until recently. Few people would be foolish enough to buy drugs with a credit or debit card, because it is so easy to trace these transactions, but sometimes buyers and sellers engage in some fancy work with their financial records to make it look like the transactions are for legal merchandise. Cryptocurrency has added a new dimension to drug crime investigations, but cash remains a favorite means of paying for drugs.

In the movies, when an undercover police officer buys drugs from a defendant, there are other cops waiting in the wings to flash their badges or draw their weapons when the officer that bought the drugs reveals his or her true identity. This is not how undercover drug purchases always work. Arresting defendants at the moment is risky, because they might be armed or in the presence of accomplices.

Therefore, officers sometimes use a low-tech tactic known as pre-recorded buy money. In other words, the police photocopy the banknotes that the undercover officer plans to use in the transaction before sending the officer to complete the purchase. Later, they can show the court that the serial numbers on the bills in the defendant’s possession match the ones photocopied at the police station beforehand.

FAU Student Faces Drug Trafficking Charges After Encounter With Undercover Sheriff’s Deputy

In the Fall 2025 semester, an undercover Palm Beach Sheriff’s deputy exchanged messages with an FAU student who promised to sell Percocet pills to the deputy. They met in the parking lot of student housing and completed the purchase. The crime lab later tested the pills and found out that they contained fentanyl. The student is facing charges for drug trafficking. Because he is only 19 years old, he might receive a sentence of six years or less even if he is convicted at trial, pursuant to the Youthful Offender Act.

Contact Our Criminal Defense Attorneys

A South Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for illegal possession or sale of drugs on a college campus.  Contact Ratzan & Faccidomo in Miami, Florida for a confidential consultation about your case.

Source:

upressonline.com/2025/12/fau-student-charged-with-trafficking-fentanyl-after-undercover-drug-operation-at-student-housing/