Woman sentenced to federal prison for prescription opioid scheme

Larry Hobbs, The Brunswick News, Ga.
·2 min read
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Sep. 2—A Glynn County woman will spend more than three years in federal prison for her elaborate scheme to obtain highly addictive prescription opioids and peddle them to addicts, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Teresa Hickman filled more than 300 opioid prescriptions at a pharmacy in Jacksonville, Fla., using the names and DEA registration numbers of actual doctors, Estes said. The doctors were unaware that the fraudulently obtained information was being used by Hickman to obtain thousands of prescription opioid pills. She then sold the pills to illegal drug users in Glynn County.

"Americans continue to die in record numbers from drug overdoses, and drug traffickers like Teresa Hickman pour gasoline on this raging epidemic," Estes said. "Our law enforcement partners continue to do outstanding work in identifying and shutting down those who profit from such misery."

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency's Savannah office began investigating Hickman in April 2020 after getting tips about her scheme. The Glynn County Sheriff's Office and the Brunswick Police Department also took part in the investigation.

"Although these pills came from legitimate pharmacies, the prescriptions were fake," said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "Teresa Hickman had no business obtaining and distributing these highly addictive drugs."

Hickman pleaded guilty to the charges in March at the U.S. District Courthouse in Brunswick.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood sentenced Hickman on Wednesday in Brunswick to 38 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system. Wood additionally sentenced Hickman to three years of supervised release after her prison sentence is served.

"The Glynn County Sheriff's Office appreciates the coordinated efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration in fighting the opioid epidemic that is destroying our community," said Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump. "Our office will continue to work with our partner agencies to fight this ongoing battle."