Our client was charged in federal court with Marijuana cultivation. He hired the Abreu Law Firm to defend him in his federal case.

FACTS: When the DEA came into our client’s grow-house, they found over 900 marijuana seedlings, a sophisticated growing operation, and a shotgun (for insurance). It seemed that this was your common-day grow-house, but further investigation revealed that our client’s house was not actually a typical grow-house, but rather a grow-house “start-up supply depot” for most of Miami-Dade County. In other words, our client helped supply all the materials needed to start a grow-house. His group would provide high-powered lights, seedling plants, fertilizer, electrical connections, irrigation systems, and all the supplies needed to start a marijuana cultivation operation. As our client was trained as an electrician in Cuba, his job was to set-up the electrical system and to steal electricity from the local power grid.

RESULT: Through extensive negotiations between Mr. Abreu and the Assistant U.S. Attorney, our client was able to reach a positive agreement with the U.S. Government that resulted in him receiving a large sentence reduction.

FACTS: Our client was a participant in a Florida Lottery Ticket scam, also known as the Pigeon Dropper scam. He was charged with Organized Fraud, Grand Theft (3rd degree), and Possession of a False Driver’s License. Our client hired the Abreu Law Firm to represent him in this State court prosecution.

The scam worked like this: A woman would approach the victim and present a winning Florida lottery ticket. The woman would tell the victim that she was an illegal alien and, as such, could not cash the ticket without risking deportation. The scam artists would ask for a small fee – about $10,000 – for this winning lottery ticket, which was forged so that it would be worth between $50,000 and $100,000. To make the lottery ticket more attractive, the scamers would have the victim dial a fake number to a fake Florida Lottery agent. The agent (another participant in the scam) would tell the victim that the ticket was indeed worth money.

For more information on how the scam worked, Go to this news article on the Florida Lottery Ticket scam. Note that this article does not concern our client, but it gives you an idea on how the scam worked, or, as the case may be, how the scam was supposed to work.

RESULT: The Abreu Law Firm was able to convince the prosecutor to lower the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor with credit for the time our client already served in jail. As soon as our client took the plea, he was released from Corrections.

Ever wonder why you have to enter your ZIP code every time you pump gas with a credit card? The answer lies with Operation Gas Leak, which was a huge criminal enterprise in Miami-Dade that involved 40-plus defendants, and 44-plus vehicles, two of which were full-sized gas tankers.

FACTS: The scam involved over 50 individuals. First, there were the street people, who obtained stolen credit cards and used them to purchase gas at numerous gas stations in Miami-Dade County. These individuals would use cars equipped with an additional, home-made gas tank. The gas was pumped into the personal vehicles with the illegal tanks, and then transported to a central location, a.k.a. the “Fuel Farm.” At the Fuel Farm, the gas was pumped from the hidden tanks into large, full-sized gas tankers (18-wheelers). The tankers would then return to the gas stations (from where the gas was originally taken from) and sell the gas back to the gas stations at reduced prices. Go to this page for more information on how the scam worked and many law enforcement authorities involved.

RESULT: The Abreu Law Firm represented the #3 defendant in the entire organization who owned the Fuel Farm property and many of the smaller vehicles. She was charged with RICO and Conspiracy to Commit RICO. After tough lawyering and extensive negotiations, Mr. Abreu had the charges against his client dismissed and the seized property returned. This case ended up being on the largest RICO cases in South Florida history.

FACTS: Our client was out with friends one night when she had one (1) drink before calling it an early night. On her way home, she was pulled over by one of the top DUI officers in Miami. After participating the road-side sobriety exercises, our client was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

During the trial, Mr. Abreu and Mr. Wolenski brought out key facts that helped persuade the jury that our client was indeed Not Guilty of DUI. For instance, to conduct the sobriety exercises, the officer walked our client over US1 to a dark parking lot, across the highway from her car, standing in a dimly lit lot, late at night, with no one around her except two policemen. Anxious and afraid, she participated in the sobriety exercises in her bare feet. Once arrested, our client knew that the officer had already made up his mind that she was intoxicated, and that nothing would change, despite her full compliance. Disgusted, our client refused to take a breathalyzer.

RESULT: After a three day jury trial, the jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before returning a verdict of Not Guilty. Our client walked out of the courtroom a free person with no criminal record.

FACTS: Our client was driving when the police pulled him over for speeding. As soon as our client opened his window, suspect marijuana smoke poured out of the driver’s window. A search incident to arrest revealed a loaded gun under the driver’s seat, ammunition, several baggies of cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana.

Due to his prior criminal history, the State labeled our client as a Habitual Felony Offender. As such, he was facing 17 years in state prison.

RESULT: After negotiating with the State Attorney, the Abreu Law Firm was able to secure a plea offer of only 17% of what our client could have received as a Habitual Felony Offender.

FACTS: Our client was arrested in Miami-Dade County but wanted on charges of Armed Robbery in California. Unfortunately for our client, he was facing life imprisonment in California under the 3 Strikes Law.

RESULT: Mr. Abreu fought the California extradition and won. During an intense hearing, filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus and successfully argued that the paperwork regarding the extradition was defective. The Court granted the Write and dismissed the extradition. Soon after, our client was released.