A police officer in Florida has received a prison sentence of over 17 years after admitting to the theft of drugs, cash, and firearms linked to federal investigations. This officer, James Hickox, went to the extent of replacing DEA-seized cocaine with a deceptive replica crafted with a 3D printer.
Hickox’s sentence, issued on Monday in a federal court in Jacksonville, stands as the most severe among over 20 agents and task force officers from the DEA who have faced similar charges in recent times. Their offenses range from perjury to wire fraud and money laundering, all while being tasked with combating the very drug cartels they ultimately betrayed.
The 38-year-old sergeant, who served with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested in 2023 alongside Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Joshua Earrey. Both were members of a DEA-led task force operating out of Jacksonville and were charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
As part of a plea agreement, Hickox owned up to pocketing over $420,000 from systematically stealing and selling marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs seized during DEA initiatives. He falsely reported that this evidence had been properly destroyed in accordance with established protocols. Additionally, he confessed to an incident in 2022 where he exchanged actual cocaine for a counterfeit kilogram designed to appear real, using a 3D-printed brick mixed with a small amount of real cocaine to deceive others. The genuine cocaine was sold to a trafficker in Jacksonville for about $20,000, from which Hickox received half the profits.
Hickox’s father suggested that the pressures of working within an environment like the DEA, entangled with criminal informants and surrounded by significant amounts of drugs and cash, led to his son’s criminal behavior. He argued that there should be better mental health support provided by the DEA to prevent future cases of trust violations.
“They have to live two lives,” he expressed during an interview with local television, “You’re out slinging dope for the DEA and then you go home and be a family man.”
Additionally, Hickox admitted to providing approximately 550 pounds of marijuana to an informant, earning between $200 to $400 for each pound sold. In another scheme, he and Earrey conducted a staged traffic stop with the intention of seizing what they believed to be 6 kilograms of fentanyl coming from another state.
A search conducted at Hickox’s residence uncovered cocaine, methamphetamine pills, and fentanyl, along with several firearms that had previously been taken as evidence in law enforcement operations. These substances were discovered in a modified garage that had been dubbed “Gator’s Man Cave.”
Furthermore, Hickox’s plea agreement revealed that he had regularly broken into DEA evidence bags, stealing large sums of cash and resealing them, or transferring the money into other packages featuring forged signatures to hide his activities.
“Law enforcement officers who operate as though they are above the law betray the badge and the citizens they swore to protect,” stated FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler.
Lawyers representing Hickox did not respond to requests for comments on the matter. Meanwhile, Earrey is set to face sentencing in April.
