United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Larry Egan Boatwright, 57, of Germantown, Tennessee was found guilty by a jury today on three counts of illegally dispensing oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

Boatwright was convicted of unlawfully distributing large amounts of oxycodone, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million; of unlawfully distributing large amounts of hydrocodone, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § (a)(1), which carries a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000; and of unlawfully distributing large amounts of alprazolam, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), which carries a sentence of up to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

As a result of his conviction on the three counts, Boatwright will also have to forfeit his interests in property obtained from the proceeds of his crime. This includes more than $33,000 in cash and bank funds, real estate located at 2132 Woodside Drive, Germantown, Tennessee, and a pair of automobiles. U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland ordered Boatwright to be taken into custody immediately and set a sentencing date of February 8, 2013.

Boatwright, a licensed pharmacist, was working weekends at a family-owned pharmacy in Millingotn when he committed the crimes. From September 2003 through December 2005, he engaged in a scheme to divert controlled substances out of the pharmacy to persons without valid prescriptions. He was originally indicted on the charges on March 21, 2006.

“Americans rely on medical professionals, including pharmacists, to use their training to help patients and to ‘do no harm.’ This individual violated the law and betrayed his responsibilities to his profession, the DEA, and most importantly to the public he pledged to serve,” said DEA Memphis Resident Agent-in-(RAC) Brian Chambers. “The moment he decided to illegally distribute drugs, he became nothing more than a drug trafficker. DEA is committed to stopping unscrupulous medical professionals like him from harming patients.”

“Mr. Boatwright abused his position of trust as a licensed pharmacist by illegally providing massive amounts of prescription drugs that were distributed in the community,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “The jury’s verdict sends an unequivocal message that the community will not tolerate such conduct, and that no one is above the law.”

This crime was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Memphis Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials within the Western District of Tennessee. George Stauffer of the Shelby County Sherriff’s Department and Millingotn Police Sergeant Dennis Brunson were instrumental in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph C. Murphy and Leetra Harris on behalf of the federal government.

RAC Chambers encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.