Hogsett Announces Mt. Vernon Man Sentenced for Aiding in Robbery of Pharmacy

More Posey County Results in U.S. Attorney’s Ongoing Violent Crime Initiative

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced today that Cody J. Hargrove, age 27, of Mt. Vernon, has been sentenced to 51 months (four years, three months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young, following his guilty plea to robbery.

“I’m pleased to announce today yet another success from our Violent Crime Initiative here in Posey County,” said Hogsett. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, we’re targeting violent, repeat offenders, taking these ‘worst-of-the-worst’ off the streets of Southwestern Indiana.”

On December 2, 2011, Hargrove aided Anthony J. Carriola in taking prescription pain medications from employees of the Mt. Vernon Pharmacy located at 100 Lawrence Drive, using and threatening both force and violence. Hargrove pled guilty to the offense immediately before he was sentenced.

As a part of his guilty plea, Hargrove admitted that he assisted in the commission of the robbery by driving Carriola away from the Mt. Vernon Pharmacy after the robbery. Hargrove received prescription pain medication stolen from the pharmacy during the robbery as payment for his participation.

Carriola was charged with robbery on April 19, 2012. Carriola’s case was transferred to the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin where he was being held on other robbery charges. Carriola has been sentenced there to 12 years for his role in the Mt. Vernon robbery and a second robbery he committed in the Western District of Wisconsin.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and comes as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative. Launched in March 2011, the VCI has produced a dramatic increase in the number of gun-related charges brought federally—from just 14 charges in 2010 to more than 110 last year. Already in 2012, 60 felon in possession of a firearm charges have been filed as part of the Violent Crime Initiative, putting the office on pace to meet or exceed last year’s total.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted the case for the government, Judge Young also imposed three years’ supervised release following Hargrove’s release from prison. During the period of supervised release, Hargrove must submit to testing for illegal drugs and participate in a drug abuse prevention program.