Judge sentences Gastonia pharmacist who sold oxycodone to dealer

A pharmacist who worked in Gastonia will spend two years in prison for supplying oxycodone to a drug dealer.

U.S. District Court Judge David Norton also sentenced Cole Dixon Moore, 36, to be under supervision after his release from prison.

Moore, who is from South Carolina, used his job as a pharmacist at Gastonia’s Prescriptions Plus to sell sedative alprazolam and oxycodone, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson’s office. Moore sold them to someone who in turn sold the drugs on the street, prosecutors said. He also advised his customer on pill prices and demanded a cut, the release said.

Prosecutors said he gave that customer 1,500 pills. The total payout was $20,000 over the course of just a few months.

In February, Prescriptions Plus agreed to pay more than $200,000 to settle allegations that it violated record-keeping requirements under the Controlled Subtances Act, according to Ferguson’s office. Those violations “negligently enabled the illegal distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam by its staff pharmacist,” the release said.

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

Ryan Oehrli

The Charlotte Observer

Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.