City man guilty in federal pain pill probe
By John Joyce
Published in News on July 11, 2014 1:46 PM
A Goldsboro man was one of six defendants sentenced after the successful federal prosecution of an Oxycodone distribution ring.
The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Louise Walker, who sentenced the last two defendants Wednesday, according to a press release.
Jesse Lee Hood, 26, of Goldsboro, was sentenced to 69 months in federal prison. Upon his release, Hood will serve three years supervised probation. He will also pay a fine of $2,000.
A forfeiture of $33,662 and three motor vehicles was imposed on two of Hood's co-defendants -- husband and wife Casey Ryan O'Quin and Christian Nicole O'Quin, both of New Bern. Each will also serve three years probation after serving 100- and 95-month sentences, respectively.
Hood, the O'Quins and three others, were found guilty of manufacturing and passing prescriptions for the highly addictive opiate-based pain medication Oxycodone.
The group passed 137 prescriptions at pharmacies in 23 counties across the eastern part of the state, according to the release.
The fraudulent prescription conspiracy began in 2011 after Hood and Casey O'Quin were released from prison around the same time.
In all, more than 16,000 pills were distributed using the forged prescriptions.
Thomas Francis Paradis, 34, of Kinston, was sentenced to 58 months in prison, followed by three years supervised probation and will pay a $1,000 fine.
Christopher Gerald Cherico, 26, of Sneads Ferry, will serve 44 months in prison, along with three years supervised probation.
Joshua Alan Iley, 23, of Longview, Texas, will serve 30 months and three years supervised probation.
U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker, eastern district, N.C., vowed that his office will continue to prosecute prescription drug cases "aggressively."