By Mary Pickels

Published: Friday, June 1, 2012, 12:22 p.m.
Updated: Sunday, June 3, 2012

Fayette County pharmacy owner Edward Samuel Wilcox, 62, of 7 Stockton Ave., Uniontown was charged today with numerous counts of controlled substance violations.

Wilcox was arrested at his business, Redstone Pharmacy & Travel Agency, 1009 Main St., Republic this morning by the Fayette County Drug Task Force.

The arrest followed an eight-month investigation, beginning in July of last year and concluding in February, according to a criminal complaint filed with District Judge Mike Defino.

Members of the task force hauled numerous boxes filed with paperwork and several computer towers from the store this morning, loading them into a black van. Customers were turned away at the door.

Wilcox was escorted from the back of the business moments later and taken to Defino's Redstone Township office.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, filed by task force Detective Captain Stephen Cooper, an investigation was launched into alleged illegal sales of narcotics and other alleged criminal activities at the pharmacy with the aid of an unidentified informant.

The informant contacted the office of Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks in February of 2011 and told Cooper in March about information concerning Wilcox and his pharmacy.

On five occasions from July through October, the informant made numerous purchases of Xanax and Vicodin at the pharmacy, police allege.

In February, the informant wore a recording device for a telephone conversation between her and Wilcox. After speaking to the informant, Wilcox agreed to sell her "a couple" of "Vics," according to the affidavit.

Following a transaction monitored by police, the informant said that Wilcox had advised an employee to sell her two Vicodin from a bottle, charging the informant $2.

The informant did not have a prescription for Vicodin, police said.

Wilcox, who is free on $120,000 bond, faces a preliminary hearing before Defino on June. 11.

Additional details will be released through Heneks today in a news conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

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