Chicago Heights man pleads guilty in pills scheme

HAMMOND | A Chicago Heights man accused of intending to distribute more than 6,000 Vicodin pills last year pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court.

Nick Santana was indicted July 21 in federal court and turned himself in Aug. 16, court records state.

He was charged with distributing the drug without the prescription of a licensed practitioner, causing label misbranding and aiding and abetting.

Santana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug without the prescription of a licensed practitioner in exchange for the other charge to be dropped at sentencing.

He admitted he accepted a delivery at his home of several bottles of Vicodin in February 2009, the agreement states.

Lindsay Kozinski, who Santana said delivered the pills, was sentenced in federal court last week to two years of probation after admitting she had intended to distribute the Vicodin pills.

Because he pleaded guilty to the first count of his indictment, Santana could face up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.