Florida law enforcement officers facing drug-related charges, experts weigh in

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In just the past few days, two Florida law enforcement officers from two different agencies have been announced to now be facing drug-related charges.

Earlier this week Action News Jax learned that 44-year-old Joshua Earrey, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper from Jacksonville, was arrested for the illegal use of narcotics. Now, 37-year-old Darrell Hickox, a former Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy and DEA task force agent, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to the criminal complaint against Hickox, a cooperating defendant says Hickox and another unnamed officer stole drugs from crime scenes, with the intent to later sell them. The charges Hickox is facing carrying a prison sentence of up to 40 years.

Action News Jax spoke to former FBI agent and law and safety expert Dale Carson on Tuesday, who says instances like Hickox’s actually aren’t unusual, due to the line of work.

“If you’re working on a task force where you’re constantly exposed to criminal behavior, it can’t be unexpected that occasionally some of that criminal behavior is going to rub off,” said Carson.

Meanwhile, in the case of Earrey, the former Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s family has since come out and said Earrey is now planning to check into rehab and receive the care he needs. However, Carson outlined how difficult this can be for those in positions of law enforcement, due to fears of risking their careers.

“They’re gonna take you and shelve you until that problem is resolved,” Carson explained. “And it may ultimately turn out that you’re never going to go back to the enforcement process that you so dearly enjoy.”

Nonetheless, addiction specialist Dr. Marcus De Carvalho says coming forward and seeking help, could take away any possible legal troubles for law enforcement struggling with addiction.

“You get in trouble with the law, then you’re in a really bad situation. Now you have legal issues to deal with,” says Dr. De Carvalho. “But if you self-report and check yourself in, you’re not going to be prosecuted or anything like that.”

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