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Fredrick Upshaw

Other 2015 Drug Exonerations
On August 3, 2014, Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s police arrested 26-year-old Fredrick Upshaw after they confiscated tablets from him that they believed were Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication that is dispensed by prescription only.

On August 4, 2014, Upshaw pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to four days in the Harris County Jail.

In October 2014, the Harris County Institute for Forensic Sciences tested the tablets and determined the pills were Melatonin, a non-prescription dietary supplement. The laboratory notified the Harris County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, which then informed Upshaw’s defense attorney.

The prosecution joined in a defense motion to vacate the conviction. The motion was granted on August 31, 2015 and the prosecution dismissed the charge.

– Maurice Possley

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Posting Date: 10/30/2015
State:Texas
County:Harris
Most Serious Crime:Drug Possession or Sale
Additional Convictions:
Reported Crime Date:2014
Convicted:2014
Exonerated:2015
Sentence:4 days
Race/Ethnicity:Black
Sex:Male
Age at the date of reported crime:26
Contributing Factors:
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:No