CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) -
Last week, Carlisle's tax collector was arrested for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer. George Hicks Jr. was charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance.
According to Cumberland County District Attorney Dave Freed, Hicks on two occasions sold marijuana to the undercover officer at a building on S. Hanover Street near his tax collection office.
After he was charged, Hicks spoke to reporters before being taken away by police. A full transcript of the interview is below.
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Kendra Nichols: Sir, do you have anything to say? Anything to say?
George Hicks Jr.: No comment.
Reporter: Are you going to be resigning?
Hicks: No comment.
Nichols: Did you misuse any taxpayer money?
Hicks: No we did not. It was a simple friend of mine who I had gotten some marijuana for who I had smoked with before. I was set up by Carlisle PD because they asked me to actually give my employee the marijuana inside the tax office to make sure that I receive an injunction. So I do plan to fight this and I do plan to show that this was a setup. That's all.
Reporter: Do you remember when I gave you the oath of office…?
Hicks: Yes I do.
Reporter: And do you feel you violated that?
Hicks: Uh no, I, uh, actually have a disorder where I use marijuana to allow me to eat. So I was helping out a friend, who I had smoked with before, to have some marijuana and I was set up. So.
Reporter: Medicinal marijuana….
Hicks: Medicinal marijuana
Reporter: …is not legal in Pennsylvania.
Hicks: Well, absolutely not. But I am an adult.
Reporter: Well then you did break the trust that you took the oath under?
Hicks: This has nothing to do with uh, my duties as a tax collector.
Reporter: Who set you up then?
Hicks: I'm not really sure who set me up but I remember the employee asking me specifically to makes sure it was in 8 South Hanover and then I realized … I was told … the injunction's right here, you'll all receive a copy of it from the judge and the DA. I was told that because it was in my business, which is a hall down from my office 208, that, uh, they'd be able to have an injunction against me being tax collector. So it was very well planned out by the borough.
Reporter: Then who do you think is out to remove you from office then?
Hicks: There's a couple people I have in mind that I won't make any comment about right now.
Nichols: So this was a set up?
Hicks: That's how I feel. I have a medical disorder where I use marijuana to allow me to eat. 70 hours a week of stress, as tax collector, by myself, and I like to, ya know, have a little something at the end of the day. And an employee who I had worked with and who I had also shared marijuana with in the past asked me to help her out with something and I did.
Nichols: How do you explain taking cash and giving drugs to an undercover officer?
Hicks: Well, uh, the funny part is I asked the officer that question and um, I don't feel bad at all. I wasn't…the money wasn't for me. It'll all come out in court.
Nichols: You didn't break the law?
Hicks: The Commonwealth says I did, then I guess I did.
