Oxycodone Conspiracy Leads to Federal Charges, Convictions

Three members of a Oxycodone conspiracy in upstate South Carolina who distributed the regulated narcotic painkiller Oxycodone were sentenced on federal charges in court on Wednesday, August 20th.

Lance C. Tew, 26, Jessica R. Hollingsworth, 24, and Mary Virginia Merritt, 42, pleaded guilty to federal charges that they operated an elaborate Oxycodone conspiracy to obtain and sell oxycodone by using fake prescriptions and recruiting people – often oxycodone addicts who were paid in pills – to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies in both South and North Carolina.

The oxycodone conspiracy drug ring was discovered in January 2013 when Tew and Hollingsworth were arrested for prescription fraud when they were found attempting to use one of their fake prescriptions at a pharmacy in York County, NC. The pair’s rental car was found to be full of conspiracy-related paraphernalia, including cash, oxycodone pills, fake IDs, and blank prescriptions, both paper and computer-generated. US Attorney Bill Nettles reported that the group tried to pass at least one fake prescription per day; Merritt used her computer skills to create the fake prescriptions.

Tew received a sentence of 8.3 years; Hollingsworth was sentenced to 4 years; and Merritt received 5 years.

The oxycodone conspiracy case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from law enforcement in Greenville, SC.

Prescription Fraud in South Carolina

The state of South Carolina has some of the toughest illegal drug penalties in the nation, including for prescription fraud. Whether the prescription abuse is due to addiction, normal pain management, or for profit, prescription fraud is a drug crime in South Carolina, and can lead to serious consequences, including imprisonment and the loss of a professional license.

In 2006, the South Carolina General Assembly authorized DHEC’s plan to establish the South Carolina Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System (SCRIPTS). The program allows DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control (BDC) to monitor prescriptions and dispensation of Schedule II, III, and IV drugs, which are some of the strongest and most addiction prescription drugs on the market, and are often the targets of prescription drug fraud.  Pharmacists must register with SCRIPTS and give the BDC information including their dispenser information, the prescribing doctor’s DEA number, the date and quantity of drugs dispensed, and approximate number of days supplied. This allows the BDC to figure out if a patient is taking too much of an addictive medication, or gathering too many refills to sell the drugs.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Charges of Oxycodone Abuse or Trafficking

If you have received criminal drug abuse charges, or are suspected of abusing prescription painkillers like Oxycodone, you are not automatically guilty, and you do not give up any of your rights. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help defend you. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Do not let criminal drug charges such as trafficking or possession ruin your reputation and career prospects. Contact us today. 803.252.4800.