MOUNT VERNON — A Mount Vernon couple pleaded guilty Tuesday to selling Oxycontin pain medication to a Mount Vernon Police confidential informant. Identified in police records as confidential informant 13, the informant’s identity was revealed in court as 27-year-old Eddie Farren of Mount Vernon.
Louis and Lori Vernon were originally charged with aggravated trafficking in drugs, a third-degree felony. The charges were reduced in exchange for a guilty plea. Louis pleaded guilty to aggravated trafficking in the fourth degree; Lori pleaded guilty to permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony.
Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher dismissed the specification to seize the couple’s home. An additional charge of using deception to obtain a dangerous drug (doctor shopping) against Lori Vernon was also dismissed.
According to the Vernons’ attorney, Phillip Lehmkuhl, Farren was an acquaintance of Louis and Lori, and borrowed Oxycontin from them several times. Lehmkuhl said Louis Vernon is paralyzed from the waist down following an accident in 2000, and is prescribed Oxycontin for severe pain. According to Lehmkuhl, on March 13, 2007, Farren called the Vernons to set up a drug transaction.
The police report shows that detectives equipped Farren with a transmitter, then followed him to the Vernons’ home on McKinley Street. Lehmkuhl said the Vernons dispute what Farren said happened in their home after Farren’s arrival.
According to the police report, Farren said he purchased two 80mg tablets of Oxycontin for $100. However, in court, the Vernons both said they loaned Farren six Oxycontin pills. Farren told police he gave the money to Lori Vernon, according to the report. The Vernons deny Farren gave Lori any money, Lehmkuhl told the News.
According to the police report, following the drug deal, Farren handed officers two Oxycontin pills. Detectives searched Ferren, then released him from surveillance.
Lehmkuhl said that shortly after Farren was released from surveillance, he returned to the Vernons’ home, claiming he left his hat behind. The Vernons said this is how Farren hid the remaining four pills and $100 he allegedly hid from police, according to Lehmkuhl.
“Against my better judgement, I loaned Ed Farren six generic Oxycodone controlled release tablets,” said Louis Vernon in court.
Farren was scheduled to stand trial in May 2007 on charges of receiving stolen proprty and misuse of credit cards. The charges stemmed from June 2006, when a Mount Vernon woman reported her bank card was stolen at Coyne Printing on Newark Road. The woman said her card was stolen from her purse in the break room of the business. Later that day, the missing card was allegedly used twice at a local gas station to purchase over $100 in gas. According to police records, Farren’s wife was a temporary employee at the printing business. In a report filed by MVPD Detective Sgt. Jeff Jacobs, Farren’s truck was allegedly spotted on video surveillance at the gas pump when the bank card was used. Farren denied stealing the card and using it.
The charges against Farren were dismissed by prosecutors five days before he was to stand trial.
In 2000 Farren was sentenced to 10 months in prison on multiple counts of forgery, receiving stolen property and possession of cocaine, according to court records. In Franklin County, Farren served six months in 2003 on similar charges.
Following their guilty pleas, Judge Otho Eyster ordered a presentence investigation for the Vernons. Sentencing is scheduled for May 9. Thatcher recommended that Louis and Lori receive a community control sentence and a mandatory six-month driver’s license suspension. However, Eyster is not bound by the plea bargain agreement, and could sentence Louis Vernon to 18 months in prison and Lori Vernon to 12 months in prison.
The Vernons remain free on bond.
