James Darrell Hickox, 38, a former task force officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and member of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug distribution, fraud, and tax evasion.
Hickox, along with co-conspirator Joshua Earrey, a Florida Highway Patrol officer, was arrested in March 2023 on drug-related charges. The investigation revealed that in 2017, Hickox and his co-conspirator stole narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, from evidence collected during investigations.
The United States Attorney’s Office reported that Hickox and his accomplice took over 1,000 pounds of marijuana, which they then sold for profit. They also stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and distributed it through a drug dealer, falsifying paperwork to falsely show the drugs were destroyed.
In addition to the stolen drugs, a search of Hickox’s home uncovered 263 grams of fentanyl powder, cocaine, and over $195,000 in cash. At the sheriff’s office, agents discovered 260 methamphetamine pills and firearms that had been seized during investigations, along with additional illegal substances.
Hickox faced a potential 50-year sentence but was ultimately sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal prison on Monday morning. His arrest also led to charges being dismissed for two defendants involved in the 2020 shooting of a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective at a drug house.
