Several from NE Ga. among 9 people given federal drug sentences

ATLANTA - Several northeast Georgians were given federal sentences recently by a judge in Atlanta following a crackdown on the abuse and illegal sales of prescription drugs in north Georgia.<br /> <br /> All eleven had pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess oxycodone with intent to distribute.<br /> <br /> The nine who have been sentenced are from Cumming, Gainesville, Alpharetta, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, and Roswell.<br /> <br /> The other two are from Cumming and are to be sentenced July 7.<br /> <br /> "Many of the defendants sentenced were themselves addicts, some of whom became addicted after receiving a lawful prescription for oxycodone," said U.S. Attorney Sally Yates. "Some of them even engaged in further criminal behavior to feed their own addiction. These criminal acts also perpetuated the addiction of others by putting the drugs on the street. It's a terrible cycle." <br /> <br /> According Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Holly Worley forged prescriptions for oxycodone using the names of actual doctors. The remaining ten defendants would then present the forged prescriptions at numerous pharmacies throughout the Atlanta and North Georgia area to obtain what appeared to be legitimately obtained pain medication. Once the conspirators received the drugs, Worley and Jason Johns would deliver the drugs to others to have them sold on the streets. Worley rewarded the co-conspirators for the participation with either cash or a portion of their oxycodone pills.<br /> <br /> All eleven defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess oxycodone with intent to distribute, and nine were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Orinda D. Evans on June 19 and 20:<br /> <br />

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