Accepting a plea deal that could have her out of prison in as few as eight years, a 45-year-old Colorado woman pleaded guilty to her alleged role in a methamphetamine distribution ring.

Colorado Springs drug defense attorneys recognize that use and sale of methamphetamine is an area in which law enforcement – both locally and on a national level – have focused a great deal of effort.

For evidence of this, just look at the Colorado Springs Police Department website. There, the agency tracks all methamphetamine lab seizures in the city. Back in 2008, there were six. In 2009, there were eight. And then in 2010 there were two and in 2011 there was one.

That’s usually an indication that police are cracking down.

Methamphetamine in Colorado is classified as a Schedule II substance. That is, it has a high risk of dependency and abuse, but has a few legitimate medicinal purposes.

A simple possession charge, depending on the circumstances of the case, can result in a Class 2 felony charge or a Class 3 felony charge, meaning a range of between 4 and 24 years in prison and fines of between $3,000 and $1million.

That’s a huge range of course, which is why you can see it’s critical to have a skilled criminal defense attorney on your side, arguing for the most favorable outcome in your best interest.

In this case, the defendant in question could serve up to 16 years, though her sentencing has been postponed until the end of her co-defendant’s trial, which is slated for this week.

The pair are accused of more than a dozen counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and violating the state’s organized crime control act.

Her 46-year-old co-defendant is accused of making weekly trips to Denver in order to purchase 8 to 10 ounces of methamphetamine, which he and his co-defendant then sold locally in the Longmont area.

Undercover officers, tipped to the operation, began initiating several purchases from the pair.

When they were arrested back in August, he reportedly had possession of a gun and enough meth to have yielded hundreds of doses.