A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced an Alabama man to nearly five years in prison for serving as the getaway driver in the theft of nearly 17,000 prescription pills from a Missouri pharmacy.
U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. sentenced 32-year-old Cornelius Cardez Bray of Birmingham, Alabama, to 57 months in prison and $2,174.66 in restitution to the Kennett Pharmacy.
Bray served as the driver for David Jerome Evans, 32, of Birmingham, who broke into the business on March 13, 2025.
A police officer responding to the crime saw a car with Tennessee license plates driving out of town. The officer recalls seeing someone in a car with Tennessee plates taking photos of another nearby pharmacy a few days before.
When the officer attempted a traffic stop, Bray sped away and crashed. Investigators inspected the wreckage and found multiple medication bottles, as well as Bray’s wallet and cellphone.
Authorities stated the pair stole 16,800 pills, including 7,500 hydrocodone tablets and 7,500 benzodiazepine pills.
Evans was arrested at the scene of the crash. Bray escaped on foot but was apprehended later.
Both men pled guilty to one count of intent to steal a controlled substance and one count of possession with the intent to distribute hydrocodone. Evans had previously earned a 78-month prison sentence for his involvement in the crime.
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