Cole Dixon Moore, a 36-year-old pharmacist from South Carolina, has been sentenced to two years in prison for the illegal distribution of oxycodone pills. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Gastonia Police Department. “Oxycodone on the streets has ruined lives and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. He added that licensed pharmacists should not contribute to this issue by supplying street dealers.
Moore worked at Prescription Plus pharmacy in Gastonia and was found selling large quantities of alprazolam and oxycodone without prescriptions. Court documents revealed that Moore knew his customer resold these drugs on the street and even advised on pricing per pill. Moore also took a cut from these sales, stealing pills from the pharmacy’s stock supply. At least 1,500 pills were recovered during the investigation, with Moore making over $20,000 in a few months.
U.S. District Judge David C. Norton highlighted the impact of oxycodone abuse while delivering Moore’s sentence, which includes supervised release after imprisonment and forfeiture of $20,000 in proceeds.
In February, Prescriptions Plus agreed to pay $204,000 to settle allegations related to inadequate monitoring under the Controlled Substances Act.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong prosecuted Moore’s criminal case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Snow handled civil enforcement against Prescriptions Plus.
