A Chocowinity man was sentenced to a minimum of 70 months in prison for the trafficking of prescription pain medications.

William Logan Whichard, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of the class F trafficking felony, a plea arrangement with the state that allows Whichard to serve both 70-month sentences concurrently.

The case stemmed from two controlled purchases of pain pills by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office drug unit on two separate occasions in July of 2013. On both occasions, girlfriend and co-defendant Danielle Baker, and her young daughter, were with Whichard when the buys were made, according to Assistant District Attorney Matthew Rice. After the second purchase of Oxycodone, investigators with the drug unit followed the couple to Lowes Home Improvement, where they found them in the parking lot, crushing pills to use, Rice said. The child with them was turned over to a family member.

According to defense attorney Don Stroud, Whichard’s brushes with the law have been the result of addiction.

“This has been a long road for Mr. Whichard and his family,” said Whichard’s attorney Don Stroud. “He was addicted at 18 due to an injury and it’s been a long struggle for him. He’s the nicest guy in the world — he just struggles with his addiction.”

Before sentencing, Superior Court Judge James C. Cole asked Whichard if he had anything to say, to which Whichard responded, “I wish I could turn back time.”

North Carolina has some of the toughest prescription medication diversion laws in the U.S. — in this case, resulting in a sentence of nearly six years in prison for a single purchase of 48 pills. Whichard will also be required to pay a mandatory minimum fine of $50,000.