JONESVILLE — A Rose Hill man convicted of stealing over 9,000 prescription pills from a local pharmacy will serve four years in prison after being sentenced Friday in Lee County Circuit Court.
George Anthony Carroll Jr., 31, was convicted on charges of breaking and entering, grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny as a result of the June robbery of the Rose Hill Pharmacy.
Carroll was given a 10-year sentence on each of the four counts, with six years suspended. The judge ordered Carroll to serve the four remaining four-year sentences concurrently.
Carroll was also given six years of supervised probation and must pay $3,747 in restitution. He was also ordered to undergo drug abuse counseling.
Lee County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shawn Hines said his office argued that Carroll should serve a longer sentence than the four years and four months recommended by state guidelines, noting that the defendant had committed a prior burglary and been placed on probation, which he violated after being convicted of drug possession charges.
Carroll was arrested by Lee County authorities after the owners of the Rose Hill Pharmacy reported a break-in that resulted in approximately 9,000 pills being stolen. The medicine was valued at $3,500.
Carroll was identified as a suspect in the robbery after being observed on surveillance video entering the pharmacy through the drive-through window.
Carroll was seen on the video filling a garbage bag with pill bottles taken from the pharmacy’s shelves before fleeing on foot.
Following his arrest, Carroll confessed to the burglary, telling authorities he had planned it with another individual.