From the Office of the District Attorney:
Martinez, Calif. – The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged defendant Jonathan Szkotak with one felony count of second degree robbery. On April 3, 2018, Szkotak allegedly went to a CVS pharmacy in Danville where he brandished a firearm at the pharmacy staff and demanded specific pills. Szkotak is a registered pharmacist with the California Board of Pharmacy. He works in Alameda County for the Alameda Alliance for Health.
Szkotak allegedly approached the pharmacy counter wearing a blue surgical mask and displayed a firearm. Given that he used a gun during the course of the robbery, our office charged Szkotak with a firearm enhancement.
CVS reported to the Drug Enforcement Agency a loss report of Clonazepam and Buprenorphine. In total, 17 tablets of Clonazepam were missing and 57 tablets of Buprenorphine (three different brands) as a result of the April 3rd robbery. Upon Szkotak’s arrest, the police found a quantity of crushed Buprenorphine in the defendant’s wallet.
Szkotak’s court appearance is January 14, 2019 in Martinez. He is out of custody on a $200,000 bond.
He was charged with the following:
- Second Degree Robbery
Enhancement 1, Personal Use of a Firearm
I feel sorry for anyone who gets addicted to prescription painkillers. I don’t feel sorry for anyone who commits armed robbery to feed his addiction. As a pharmacist, when it comes to prescription drugs, he knows better.
What drug epidemic?
I thought they stored these prescription painkillers in a timed release safe?
It may be time to update your LinkIn profile, bro.
He works for Alameda County, if he’s in the union he probably gets to keep his job as a Pharmacist 🙂
Will someone please tell me how these guys get these jobs? If I did this they’d have me field dressed flogged and fired 10 minutes after it hit the paper.
Blaming the doctors for addiction to prescription medication is not only short sighted, it makes the problem much worse. Doctors are doing their jobs, and addiction is explained to the patient. It’s whether or not the patient wants to LISTEN, and follow their advice. Addiction (to anything) is 100% THE ADDICT.
Are we going to blame McDonalds for obesity, and wineries for alcoholism?
This is a sad story and one that all of us need to pay attention to. There is a serious drug crisis in this country and no one is immune. Not you, your child or your spouse. The criminal justice system is not the solution. These people need help, whether they want it or not, but punishment will not accomplish anything other than running up a big bill for jails and prisons….. Yes, it may be short sighted to blame doctors, but on the other hand sometimes they pay a big role in making the problem worst…. especially psychiatrists who often dole out pills instead of providing therapy which is expensive and takes lots of time and patience….
If there is any patient that really needs medication, it’s a psychiatric patient. Do you really think you can talk a schizophrenic out of their severe mental disorder? They’ve lost touch with reality (psychosis). How much “therapy” will do them any good? Give them all the medication they need – for their sake as well as society. It’s a win-win situation.