--- title: "Florida Cop Headed to Prison for 3D Printing Fake Drugs and Switching Them With Real Ones" description: "A former DEA officer is going away for a long time after admitting to swapping bricks of seized cocaine with 3D-printed decoys." date: "2025-02-01" modified: "2025-02-01" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/florida-cop-3d-printed-drugs" categories: - "3D Printing" - "Future Materials" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "3d printing" - "drugs" - "police" - "the digest" --- # Florida Cop Headed to Prison for 3D Printing Fake Drugs and Switching Them With Real Ones ![A former DEA officer is going away for a long time after admitting to swapping bricks of seized cocaine with 3D-printed decoys.]() *emergency responders \Image: Catherine McQueen / Getty Images\* ## Cave Man A former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officer is going away for a long time after admitting to swapping bricks of seized cocaine with 3D-printed decoys. As the [*Associated Press* reports](), former Jacksonville-area sheriff's sergeant and ex-DEA agent James Hickox has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to not only stealing drugs and cash seized during the course of his duties, but also replacing them with fake versions he made with a 3D printer. The 38-year-old Florida man admitted as part of his plea deal that he'd bagged more than $420,000 — yes, that is the figure that the *AP* used — for cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs he stole from his employers. After snagging the contraband, Hickox would often claim that the narcotics had been destroyed during normal police procedure, though he eventually changed that tune and started making 3D-printed decoy drugs. When searching the man's house following the [corrupt cop's 2023 arrest]() alongside a state trooper and more than 20 others involved in the scheme, authorities found a bunch of narcotics and guns he'd stolen from work. Over the door to his converted garage, a sign reading "Gator Man's Cave" signaled visitors that they'd arrived at the DEA agent's drug den, the *AP* explained. ## Stranger Than Fiction It's unclear whether or not the 3D-printed coke brick was made in said "cave," but Hickox did admit that he sprinkled some real blow on top of it to make it look real. Reporting on the case also didn't reveal how federal authorities got wise to the scheme, though with the number of people involved and the amount of drugs they seem to have pilfered, it was probably bound to happen. As [*News4Jax* reports](), the onetime Nassau County Sheriff's Office sergeant claimed in court that [just like Walter White]() in "Breaking Bad," he chose to start stealing drugs from work and selling them because he'd been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to be able to provide for his family after he was gone. Wendy Berger, the [US district court judge]() who presided over the case — and who shares both her [first name]() and her hair color with a bit "Breaking Bad" character — wasn't buying that sob story. "I recognize the cancer diagnosis and health issues, but I don’t see how that causes an individual to engage in what you did," the federal judge said. "I’m having a hard time with that." Along with the charges related to stealing drugs and "[defrauding the United States]()," part of Hickox's sentence relates to tax evasion because, as the [Internal Revenue Service noted](), he didn't report the money he stole. **More on dumb cops:** [*Even With Cameras Everywhere and Facial Recognition, NYPD Helpless to Catch CEO Killer*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()