GASTONIA, N.C. — A pharmacist operating out of Gastonia was sentenced to two years in prison for illegally distributing oxycodone pills, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson on Wednesday.
Cole Dixon Moore is from Moore, South Carolina, but worked at Prescription Plus pharmacy in Gastonia. He was recently found guilty of selling large quantities of oxycodone and alprazolam without prescriptions after being arrested in 2024. Prosecutors said he was aware that the customer was reselling these pills on the street and even suggested prices for them.
Court documents revealed that Moore demanded a cut of the customer’s sales, arranging for upfront payments and balances to be paid after the drugs were sold. Moore also admitted to stealing the pills from the pharmacy’s stock supply.
During the investigation, investigators recovered at least 1,500 oxycodone and alprazolam pills sold by Moore without prescriptions.
Prosecutors said Moore made over $20,000 from these illegal sales over a few months.
Channel 9’s Ken Lemon spoke with Kevin Oliver, the executive director of Phoenix Counseling Services in Gastonia, about the incident in 2024. He said there is a system that tracks the inventory at each pharmacy, and that’s likely why agents filed charges.
“For someone to not be under the care of a physician is the biggest worry because of overdosing, misuse, or just long-term concerns,” Oliver explained.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge David C. Norton ordered Moore to a term of supervised release and the forfeiture of approximately $20,000 in proceeds. Prescription Plus agreed to pay $204,000 to resolve allegations of violating recordkeeping requirements.
Opioids are the No. 1 cause of overdose and were responsible for 4,041 deaths in 2021, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
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