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Guilty verdict in CVS robbery

A Carbon County jury panel found a Lansford woman guilty of robbery and other counts following a two-day trial that ended last Friday.

Tracey Hicks, 44, was also found guilty of criminal conspiracy-receiving stolen property and receiving stolen property. She was found not guilty of criminal conspiracy-robbery.Nesquehoning police charged Hicks in connection with a robbery at the CVS Pharmacy at 20 E. Locust St., on Oct. 16, 2008.Police said Hicks was driving the getaway car for her husband, Jack K. Ensel, 49, of Lansford. Ensel was charged by police with entering the store and taking a tray of prescription painkillers worth $11,988.Police said Hicks was driving a Chevrolet Blazer and waiting outside when Ensel allegedly left the store with the stolen drugs. Store personnel managed to get the license plate of the vehicle and called the communications center.The comm center ran the plate and notified Lansford police that the vehicle was registered to a resident of their borough and gave them the address.By the time Hicks returned to her home, police were waiting and took her and Ensel into custody. Ensel is scheduled to go on trial on charges in August.Hicks admitted driving the car and taking Ensel to the drugstore and then returning home.But defense attorney Paul Levy said his client did not know what Ensel did in the store and did not know that he had the stolen drugs when he got into the Blazer's back seat for the trip back to Lansford.Assistant District Attorney James Lavelle said Hicks knew what was going on because she told police in an interview that Ensel said to her he was going to "hit a pharmacy," on the morning of the incident.The panel got the case from President Judge Roger N. Nanovic about noon and returned with the verdict about 3:40 p.m.Nanovic deferred sentencing. Hicks was returned to the county prison where she is being held on the charges and has other pending criminal charges.