A pharmacist and former co-owner of Corley's Pharmacy was arraigned Tuesday in U.S. District Court on charges that he allegedly distributed a quantity of Oxycodone from the pharmacy after being induced to do so "by the wrongful use of fear" by five co-defendants, court documents state.

Robert D. McNeese, 37, of Afton, entered not guilty pleas at arraignment before Magistrate Judge Dennis H. Inman to two charges, including conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone and possession with the intent to distribute Oxycodone.

McNeese also was charged with "[omitting] material information from reports, records and documents required to be made and kept," according to an indictment dated Feb. 14 and sealed by the court until Tuesday.

The other defendants in the case are Chucky Joe Copas, Jimmy Lee Hodges, Terry Lee Scalf, Scottie Wayne Leach and George Eugene Copas. Several of the defendants are believed to live in Washington County

They are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute Oxycodone, and the intent to "obstruct, delay and affect, and attempt to obstruct, delay and affect commerce and the movement of articles and commodities in commerce by extortion."

The alleged offenses connected to the first count charging them with Oxycodone distribution, were committed from July 2010 until July 28, 2011, according to the indictment naming McNeese and the other defendants.

The defendants knowingly did "combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and with diverse other persons" to distribute a quantity of Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, the indictment states.

Events surrounding the extortion-related count naming Chucky Copas, George Copas, Hodges, Scalf and Leach, occurred between April and July 28, 2011, the indictment states.

The indictment alleges that the five men obtained Oxycodone from Corley's Pharmacy, with McNeese's consent, "induced by the wrongful use of fear, including fear of economic loss."

Count three of the indictment states that McNeese "knowingly and intentionally omitted material information from reports, records and documents" relating to required documentation of controlled substances.

McNeese had been a pharmacist at Corley's Pharmacy in Greeneville since 1999 and became a co-owner of the business in 2004.

The arrest of McNeese came as a "complete surprise" to Alan Corley, co-owner and president of the well-known family business.

"For the record, I became aware on July 27, 2011, that we had some missing Oxycodone and immediately reported that to the proper authorities," Corley said Tuesday.

McNeese, he said, has not been employed at the pharmacy since that date, and is no longer a co-owner of the business.

"Corley's Pharmacy has cooperated fully with the investigation," Corley said, including with the Greeneville Police Department, the Third Judicial District Drug Task Force, the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy.

"I had drugs missing, and evidence pointed to Mr. McNeese as the one being responsible," Corley said.

He added that a "significant" amount of Oxycodone was taken from the pharmacy before its removal was discovered.

"To the best of our knowledge, this never did impact any of our customers. This was completely outside our business," Corley said.

"I'm sorry on a number of levels. It's a sad situation for him, for his family and for the pharmacy."

According to the January 2012 disciplinary action report by the Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Board of Pharmacy section, McNeese's violation was that he "removed (a) controlled substance from the pharmacy without authorization from a licensed prescriber."

As a result, his pharmacist license is "indefinitely suspended," the report said.

"We [Corley's Pharmacy itself] weren't involved at all. We're still going ahead at full speed," Corley said of the business.

He said McNeese's alleged actions were "absolutely" out of character for the man he knew.

"We were devastated by this totally unexpected situation," he said.

McNeese retained prominent Greeneville lawyer John T. Milburn Rogers, who would not discuss the case Tuesday, but characterized his client as "a model citizen."

"He has no criminal history. He's just a pharmacist. He's just a great guy," Rogers said.

Rogers said McNeese "is looking forward to a trial with 12 jurors," where details of the case will become known.
McNeese is free on $20,000 bond set by Inman. Another court date had not been scheduled as of Tuesday.

The other five defendants in the case are believed to be in custody. Chucky Joe Copas, 40, is being held in the Greene County Detention Center.