Houston man sentenced for trafficking nearly 6,500 Oxycodone pills

Pills were stolen from Arkansas pharmacy, officials say

LUFKIN, Texas – A Houston man was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in March. 

James Edward Turner was stopped in March 2017 in Nacogdoches County for a traffic violation and officers called for a canine to assist with the scene, according to information from the Department of Justice. 

Officials said when the canine arrived at the scene and searched the vehicle, it located a laundry bag containing numerous prescription pills still in the bottles. When taking a closer look at the bottles, investigators said they were able to determine that the bottles had been stolen in two burglaries from different Walgreens pharmacies in Little Rock, according to a press release from the DOJ. 

Investigators said they were able to link the pills in the vehicle to the pills stolen from the burglaries. 

A total of 6,403 oxycodone pills, in various dosage units, were recovered, according to officials. 

Turner has also been ordered to pay $46,589.74 in restitution.