Waynesboro Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Felony Drug Charge
Federal sentence awaits pharmacist who illegally acquired opioids
AUGUSTA, GA -- A Waynesboro pharmacist is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to illegally obtaining opioids for his own use.
Wilton Clinton “Clint” Meeks III, 55, of Waynesboro, Ga., pled guilty on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, to acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, deception, or subterfuge, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall accepted Meeks’ guilty plea.
According to information provided in court filings and during court proceedings, Meeks acquired Oxycodone from his pharmacy, Liberty Square Pharmacy that was not prescribed to him. Meeks did so for his own personal use, and the unlawful acquisition of Oxycodone occurred for more than one year.
Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance. While the opioid is often prescribed to treat severe pain, Oxycodone carries a serious risk of addiction, abuse, and overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Americans rely on healthcare providers like pharmacists, to use their training to help the community. This pharmacist violated the law by illegally acquiring opioids,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “DEA, its law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office are committed to stopping unscrupulous medical professionals like Mr. Meeks from abusing his position of trust which could potentially harm patients.”
“An inherent tragedy of opioid addiction is that it often transitions from legitimate need to desperate compulsion,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “But that isn’t an excuse for medical professionals to break the law in pursuit of their own gratification.”
The Meeks guilty plea is the result of the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to fight the prescription opioid crisis. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia is committed to using all available remedies under the Controlled Substances Act against doctors, pharmacists, and others who break the law.
U.S. Attorney Christine commended the hard work of the Savannah Resident Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which investigated Meeks, led by Group Supervisor George M. Taylor and Diversion Investigator Tierra Singleton.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Porter is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The DEA 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. Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv.
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