September 5, 2012
Department of Justice
United States Attorney William C. Killian Eastern District of Tennessee
Talbott Resident Brian Mullins Sentenced To 118 Months In Federal Prison For White Pine Pharmacy Robbery
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Brian Mullins, 37, of Talbott, Tenn., was sentenced on September 5, 2012, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 118 months in federal prison for robbery with a handgun of the Sanitary Drug Store in White Pine, Tenn. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mullins pleaded guilty on July 10, 2012, to a federal indictment charging him with the pharmacy robbery and related firearms charges.
In March 2012 Mullins entered Sanitary Drug Store in White Pine, Tenn., with a handgun, ordered the pharmacist to the ground and asked him where he kept the oxycodone pills. The pharmacist gave him some pills and Mullins ran out the door. When officers arrived on the scene, witnesses pointed out a truck leaving the back parking lot. After a chase through Jefferson, Cocke and Hamblen counties and a short foot pursuit, a K9 officer of the Morristown Police Department apprehended Mullins.
This indictment was the result of an investigation by the White Pine Police Department, assisted by Morristown Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Lampe represented the United States.
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian praised the quick response and excellent work of the White Pine and Morristown Police Departments. "We continue to see an increase in violent crimes committed by individuals trying to support an addiction to oxycodone and other opiates. Our office is committed to working with state and local law enforcement to protect our citizens and ensure these violent criminals are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Killian.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.
