Date: Jan. 27, 2025
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Jacksonville, FL — United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced James Darrell Hickox (Callahan) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for multiple federal offenses including conspiring to distribute narcotics, conspiring to defraud the United States, and tax evasion. The court also ordered Hickox to forfeit or abandon the money, firearms, and ammunition involved in these offenses. Hickox pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024.
According to court documents, while employed as a deputy with the Nassau County Sheriff’s and designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hickox and a co-conspirator engaged in extensive corrupt activity from 2017 - 2023. These acts included the theft of money and illegal drugs that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations; providing illegal drugs (including fentanyl and cocaine) to others to distribute on his behalf; and hiding from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $420,000 in cash he had received because of his criminal activities. Hickox and his co-conspirator stole more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from evidence and provided the drugs to others to sell on their behalf. They had covered up the theft by submitting falsified paperwork showing that the marijuana had been destroyed. Similarly, they stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and then gave it to a drug dealer to sell for them.
When Hickox’s residence was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant on March 10, 2023, agents found approximately 263 grams of a powder containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine. Hickox intended to distribute these substances. Agents also found a rifle that Hickox had illegally modified to function as a machinegun, as well as four additional firearms that had been seized during law enforcement investigations and should have been in evidence or lawfully destroyed. Hickox had drilled out and obliterated the serial number of one of these firearms. The agents also located more than $195,000 in cash proceeds from Hickox’s illicit activities. A search of Hickox’s workspace at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office revealed another 260 pills containing methamphetamine.
“Law enforcement officers who operate as though they are above the law betray the badge and the citizens they swore to protect," said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler. “This case exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding public servants accountable if they violate the very laws they promised to uphold.”
“He betrayed the oath he took to become a police officer and lost his career. He also let down his co-workers and our community,” said Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. “Its law enforcement officers who do stupid things like this that erodes the confidence and trust in our profession by our citizens. His poor judgement and criminal behavior should not reflect negatively on all the good men and women at NCSO who go out every day and do it the right way to keep our citizens safe.”
“As a sworn law enforcement officer, Hickox took an oath to uphold the law,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Tampa Field Office. “Instead, he turned his back on that oath and profited from the very crimes he was tasked with investigating. We commend our fellow law enforcement partners for their great work coming together to put a stop to this illegal betrayal of public trust. We will continue to investigate allegations of public corruption and follow the money to prosecute any individuals that abuse their position of trust for personal gain.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. The United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and United States Customs and Border Protection wish to thank the Florida Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office for their cooperation during this investigation.
IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.