Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Distribution In Sevier County

A man has pled guilty in Sevier County for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that also includes two former employees of the County Clerk’s office. On Thursday, James Carroll Hickman entered a plea agreement in which he will plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The plea agreement states Hickman worked with others to purchase and distribute the mixture containing cocaine. One of those others is Juan Lopez Gallardo…who is at the center of the case. Gallardo also involved two Sevier County Deputy Clerks by getting them to license vehicles stolen from Florida and provide them with licensing and registration in Tennessee. Those two…Brandy Thornton and Roberta Allen are charged with two counts of taking cash payments in exchange for an official act.