Columbia, South Carolina ----- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that Tracey Lee Rowell, age 41, of Latta, Bobby Lee Scott, age 29, of Dillon, Denise Locklear, 35, of Latta, and Lakisha Marie Clark, age 28, of Dillon, were sentenced today in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for participating in a Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Columbia sentenced Rowell, the ringleader, to twenty years imprisonment; Scott to seventy months imprisonment; Locklear to 37 months imprisonment; and Clark to two years imprisonment.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Rowell was the leader of a prescription forgery ring. The drug of choice was Roxicodone, a brand name for Oxycodone, which is a highly addictive painkiller. Rowell provided forged prescriptions to co-conspirators, who then had the prescriptions filled in pharmacies in South and North Carolina. They would then provide the pills to Rowell, who used some and sold the rest. Rowell also shared some of the pills with others in the conspiracy for their personal use. The typical prescription was for 120 pills; the total conspiracy involved almost 42,000. Each tablet had a street value of $20 to $25.
The case was investigated by the newly formed Tactical Diversion Squad of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Winston Holliday of the Columbia office prosecuted the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
