Being a confidential informant for police can be a very dangerous job. Usually, a potential informant is caught by law enforcement and told that he will be charged with very serious crimes unless he or she wants to work off the charge(s). Working off the charge generally entails being a confidential informant and doing three or so "successful" buys of a controlled substance. The confidential informant is not allowed to dance around the situation in that they actually have to get someone arrested. Giving law enforcement a simple lead is not enough to meet the condition via the agreement for a "successful" buy. In other words, the informant will actually have to give up three or so of his suppliers.
So if you are being considered as a confidential informant, what are some things you should look at being an informant. First off, you should ask yourself how dangerous are your suppliers? Because your supplier will likely figure out that you worked with the cops in catching them. Further, you should seek out what charges would be dropped should you decided to comply with officials. Are you looking at serious time in prison or just a few days in jail? It should be noted as part of your "agreement" with law enforcement, they will tell you that you are not allowed to speak with an attorney. I would recommend speaking with an attorney about the situation. Remember, your conversation with an attorney is confidential and is protected by the attorney-client privilege. An attorney can inform you whether law enforcement is using the tactic of "trumping up" the charges to you so that you work with them. Sometimes the facts in your case are just not there but law enforcement scares you with a felony(s) so that you work with them. They scare you with how many years in prison you will face should you decide not to cooperate with them when in all reality you may be looking at a simple possession charge or in certain situations a constitutional violation on law enforcement's end. If there is a constitutional violation, you can generally have your case dismissed in the long run. Simply put, it is a good idea to speak with an attorney so that you receive an honest opinion of what will likely happen with the facts in your case.
As we know, a drug charge is very serious and can have significant ramifications on your criminal background. But we do not want you to end up seriously hurt because you did not know the totality of the circumstances in deciding to work with law enforcement. Ultimately, the end decision to work with law enforcement is up to you though. Should you have any questions regarding your potential confidential informant work, do not hesitate to contact the Feld Law Firm to schedule your free consultation. Remember your consultation is confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege. An attorney would be happy to speak with you regarding you situation.