American Fork man admits drug thefts

An American Fork man suspected in a string of pharmacy robberies in American Fork and Orem has confessed to committing the crimes, according to police documents.

The man, 32, was arrested Saturday by Orem police after a robbery at a Walgreen's at 763 N. State in Orem. Using a description of the man's vehicle provided by Walgreen's employees, police caught up with the man on I-15.

On searching the car, police say they found six bottles of OxyContin, a prescription painkiller.

When interviewed by officers, the man said he had also robbed Taylor Drug in American Fork for OxyContin earlier in the day, and he told police he had robbed an Albertsons pharmacy in American Fork on Oct. 30 for the same reason, according to police documents.

At the time, police also suspected him in two other robberies of the Smith's pharmacy at 240 N. State St. in American Fork, committed on Nov. 13 and Nov. 29. In both of those robberies, a man described as wearing a black hoody or poncho and a bandanna approached the pharmacy counter and demanded OxyContin.

In the earlier robberies, Smith's employees reported that the man who robbed their store fled in a dark Ford Ranger pickup. According to police documents, officers found a pickup matching that description at the man's home.

When officers confronted the man Thursday with their findings, he confessed to committing the Smith's robberies, according to police documents. He told officers he needed the drug to feed his addiction.

In all four robberies, the man told police he did not have a gun but entered the pharmacies and told workers he would "shoot the place up" if they didn't give him OxyContin.

Witnesses told police they feared the man had a gun in his pocket, though they never saw one.

According to police documents, officers interviewed the man's girlfriend, and she confirmed that he had been talking about committing the robberies and that she saw him with various pills afterward.

This story, police say, is just one of many in a disturbing trend involving robberies to gain OxyContin.

"I think it's a problem, obviously, everywhere in the county," said Sgt. Shauna Greening of the American Fork Police Department.

The man is being held in the Utah County Jail on two bonds totaling $15,000. He faces court appearances on Jan. 2 and Jan. 5.

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com