Mayor Of Fairfax Arrested On Drug Offenses

Drug issues are a persistent problem in Virginia and it can affect anyone from those who are struggling to those who are prominent within the community and anyone in between. Similarly, the drug laws of the state do not discriminate and a wide range of people can be confronted with drug offenses. Regardless of the situation and who the individual is, one of the most important factors to remember when there is an arrest related to drugs is to have legal protection as the case moves forward.

The diversity of people who are arrested for alleged drug crimes was exemplified when the Fairfax City Mayor Richard “Scott” Silverthorne was arrested for numerous allegations including drug distribution and possession of drug paraphernalia. The 50-year-old Mr. Silverthorne was arrested after he allegedly got caught in a sting to catch drug offenders. He is said to have been taking part in a website that arranged sexual encounters with other men and used the site to distribute methamphetamine.

In this sting, the police used an undercover detective with a fake profile on this particular website to catch Mr. Silverthorne. Contact was initiated by Mr. Silverthorne and the men communicated via text message. A meeting was set up that would have included the two men as well as other men. Mr. Silverthorne was allegedly going to bring the methamphetamine and other men to take part in the meeting for delivery of the drugs and a sexual encounter. They met in a parking lot when Mr. Silverthorne waited for his supplier. He is said to have gotten the drugs and subsequently gave it to a detective. He was then placed under arrest.

This case has many different aspects to it as there is a well-known politician in the middle of it and he is accused of drug distribution and other criminal activities. While the charges sound ominous, there are often ways to combat them depending on how the criminal act occurred. A legal professional can go through the entire case and see if there were any behaviors on the part of law enforcement that could be considered entrapment or if there is another tactic to formulate a defense. For example, it might be that there was a misunderstanding or a person could have an addiction that could lead to treatment in lieu of incarceration. Those who are arrested on drug charges need to make sure to have help from an attorney as soon as they are arrested.

Source: NBC News, “Virginia Mayor Richard Silverthorne Gave Meth to Undercover Cop for Sex: Police,” Erik Ortiz, Aug. 5, 2016