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A Taylorsville pharmacist has been sentenced to up to 16 years in prison for drug and gun crimes.
Richard Martin Messineo, 45, was sentenced Monday in 3rd District Court on five counts of drug trafficking and one count of possessing a gun while dealing. From November 2009 until April 2010, prosecutors said Messineo gave friends — and later an undercover police officer — prescription drugs while he worked at a Kmart pharmacy in Taylorsville.
On April 10, airport security found liquid Demerol, prescription pills and Ecstasy tablets during a check of Messineo's bags, according to prosecutors.
"Prison is appropriate for someone who broke the law and the pharmacist's code of ethics to act with honesty and integrity," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said in a news release Wednesday. "Sadly, Utah knows more than most states that prescription drugs can be as deadly as any other drug."
A judge on Monday ordered Messineo immediately sent to prison.