3½ years in prison for mom who sold drugs in Albion

Theresa Nichols

ALBION – An Albion woman was sentenced to 3½ years in state prison today for selling hydrocodone and other prescription narcotics. She and her two sons were arrested on Oct. 1 and accused of selling drugs in Albion.

Theresa S. Nichols, 51, of 209 North Main St. apologized in court before she was sentenced.

“I want to say I’m sorry,” she told County Judge James Punch. “I know I was wrong.”

Nichols on Dec. 9 pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. She faced up to four years in state prison.

Her attorney, Michael O’Keefe of Medina, asked for probation for Nichols. He said she has been taken AA classes in jail and has a place to live on Countyline Road with her fiance.

Punch said Nichols has been on probation before and it didn’t stop her from committing crimes. He insisted on state prison.

“You’ve been profiting from the sale of this poison in our community,” Punch said.

Nichols has a prior criminal history. She was on social services and disability. She was selling prescription narcotics to supplement her income, O’Keefe said in a previous court appearance.

She has been in county jail for about six months on $25,000 bail.

Her two sons also face numerous counts of criminal possession and sale of a controlled substance. The sons, along with their mother, were allegedly selling hydrocodone and tramadol pills, which were prescribed to the mother.

David Nichols, 28, was sentenced to three years in state prison on Feb. 10. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Joshua Nichols, 26, also faces charges of selling prescription narcotics. His case is pending in court.