Easley Woman Guilty in Oxycodone Conspiracy

United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Shelley Nicole Dillard, age 27, of Easley, South Carolina, pled guilty today in federal court in Anderson, to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846. 

Senior United States District Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr.  of Anderson accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.        

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that law enforcement has been investigating a local ring selling oxycodone.  Fraudulent prescriptions were created and passed throughout the upstate of South Carolina. 

The leaders used the pills and sold large quantities for a profit. Dillard was involved in creating the false prescription and in recruiting addicts to pass them. 

The addicts would receive a small cash payment or a few pills for personal use in exchange for passing the prescriptions. 

The conspiracy operated from April 2011 until approximately August 2012, when multiple arrests were made. Law enforcement recovered approximately 80 fraudulent prescriptions tied to the conspiracy.         

Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty Dillard can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 20 years, plus a special assessment of $100.        

The case was investigated by agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.