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Over a month after being charged with six felonies relating to trafficking in opium, Lori Tadlock, human resources director for Richmond County, announced her retirement from the position.

Tadlock, 49, is charged with two felony counts each of obtaining prescription by misrepresentation, trafficking opium and insurance fraud and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. Following the charges being issued in March, she was placed on leave pending an internal investigation.

Her retirement was effective April 30.

In a statement issued via County Manager Bryan Land, Tadlock thanked the county for her opportunities 13-year and 7-month career. She was hired in September of 2005 as the payroll technician, and in January of 2007 was promoted to human resources assistant and then director in April 2008. Her ending salary was $91,531, according to Land.

“Wishing to move on to future endeavors, Lori notified us that she was choosing to retire from service with Richmond County,” Land said in an email Friday. “We are truly grateful for her many years of dedication and hard work in service to our staff, our elected officials and to our community.

“We wish Lori all the best as she moves on to her post-retirement life,” Land continued.

Land did not comment on whether Tadlock received severance pay. Section 10.2.4 of the Richmond County Personnel Policy states that, “An employee shall be paid in a lump sum for accumulated Annual Leave when they are separated because of resignation, discharge, reduction in force, or service retirement.”

Land also declined to comment on whether the county considered firing Tadlock.

Tadlock was charged following a after a joint two-month investigation between the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). The MCSO’s prescription diversion unit contacted the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in regard to Tadlock receiving the same type of prescriptions from different providers, according to the RCSO.

Warrants allege that Tadlock filled prescriptions on Jan. 7 and Feb. 5 for 90 dosage units of hydrocodone, an opioid and Schedule II controlled substance, each from the same Richmond County pharmacy and without telling her health care provider that she was “continuing” to fill prescriptions for Alprazolam and Zolpidem with another provider.

One of her providers told investigators that they would not have prescribed Tadlock had they been aware of the other prescriptions she was filling at the time, according to the warrants. Alprazolam is commonly known as Xanax, which treats anxiety, and Zolpidem is commonly known as Ambien, which treats insomnia.

Tadlock was placed under a $75,000 unsecured bond and did not go to jail nor take a mugshot. Chief Magistrate Cleve Baxley said in a text in March that if Tadlock were to miss a court date, her bond would double and it would become a secure bond, requiring her to be confined to jail until the bond was posted.

Tadlock’s next court date is May 9, according to state records.