PACE, Fla. — A husband and wife who own a Panhandle pharmacy have been arrested again as part of a years-long pill mill investigation, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Stephen Allen Burklow, 54, and Monique Hunter Burklow, 58, owners of Pace Pharmacy, were arrested June 23 on multiple drug-related charges, including illegal possession of controlled substances. Their daughter, 22-year-old Laikyn Noel Burklow, was also arrested for drug possession.
The arrests come just weeks after FDLE charged the Burklows in May with trafficking large quantities of prescription drugs and conspiring to commit racketeering, money laundering, and healthcare fraud.
“These arrests are a result of excellent teamwork between law enforcement agencies,” said Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson.
“This sends a clear message that no one is above the law, not even those entrusted with our community’s health. The illegal distribution of controlled substances puts lives at risk and fuels addiction.”
Mr Burklow now faces 10 felony counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, five counts of identity theft, and 10 misdemeanor drug possession charges.
Ms Burklow was charged with one felony and four misdemeanor drug counts, and Ms. Burklow’s daughter was charged with one misdemeanor drug offense. All three turned themselves in to the Santa Rosa County Jail, FDLE said.
The latest charges are part of a broader, multi-agency probe that began in December 2020 and continues to uncover what FDLE describes as a high-volume opioid trafficking operation run through Pace Pharmacy.
In May, FDLE arrested Mr Burklow, Ms Burklow, and 69-year-old pharmacist David Barron Winkles. All three were charged with conspiring to traffic more than 48 pounds of oxycodone, 57 pounds of hydrocodone, and nearly one kilogram of hydromorphone.
Agents said the suspects distributed controlled substances outside the course of professional practice, often using fraudulent prescriptions and billing insurance providers using the NPI numbers of unsuspecting doctors.
FDLE’s investigation was reportedly triggered by a spike in prescriptions written by a local OB-GYN, identified as Dr. Elaine Sharp, who referred patients to Pace Pharmacy. The agency said this activity raised red flags amid other pill mill complaints in the region.
“In our communities, there is no room for criminals that greedily profit from the opioid epidemic by trafficking illicit drugs under the guise of a legitimate pharmacy,” said FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams.
“I am proud of the complex and dedicated work demonstrated by FDLE’s agents, analysts, and forensic scientists.”
The Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, is prosecuting the case. The investigation remains active.
