Saturday, March 12, 2011
Iron City Man Sought By Alabama Drug Task Force
Authorities in neighboring Alabama are seeking the whereabouts of a second Lawrence County resident in connection with a widespread online pharmacy scheme that landed a Lawrenceburg woman behind bars in February.
Amanda Nicole Lovelace, 29, was among 22 individuals arrested by Lauderdale County, Alabama authorities on a variety of state and federal charges.
Lovelace was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, attempting to commit a controlled substance crime, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Authorities are still seeking the whereabouts of the remaining four, including Iron City resident Derek Dwight Thompson, 21, of 2715 Chisholm Road.
At the time the arrests were made Authorities with the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force alleged that those indicted used stolen and/or altered medical records and driver licenses in order to obtain prescription drugs from online pharmacy sources.
During the course of the three year investigation, initiated in 2008, officials say they logged around two hundred instances during which the suspects purchased packages of pills from online pharmacies in Florida, California and Illinois and had them shipped into the area. Task Force Director Tim Glover said that each package contained 100 pills that were being sold on the street for $7 to $10 apiece.
Altogether, warrants were obtained against 26 persons in connection with the operation. In addition to Thompson, officials are still seeking the whereabouts of Alabama residents Jimmy Alan Hall, 38, of Waterloo; Bryan Keith Hatchett, 41, of Florence; and Carla Senn Pigg, 48, of Tuscumbia.
All 26 have been indicted on the conspiracy to and attempting to commit a controlled substance crime charges. Four also face federal charges of mail fraud and identity theft.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Thompson, or any of the others still at-large, is asked to contact the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office at 256-760-5757 or the Shoals Area CrimeStoppers at 256-386-8685.
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