Warrant issued for man accused of stealing painkillers from pharmacy
A Uniontown man is facing multiple charges after he stole more than 1,000 prescription painkillers from a Uniontown pharmacy last summer.
Uniontown police Officer Jennifer Field said she has secured a warrant for the arrest of Joshua Lee Kirchner, 30, of 403 Dove Dr. on charges of drug possession, receiving stolen property and theft.
Field secured the warrant Monday before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.
According to Field the charges were filed against Kirchner, who also goes by the alias Joshua Lee Sanger, after fingerprints from a theft that occurred Aug. 29 at the Rite Aide Pharmacy on Connellsville Street matched Kirchner’s fingerprints.
Field said that employees at the pharmacy noticed the suspect, later identified as Kirchner acting suspicious.
When the pharmacist left the rear of the store to inform the manager that Kirchner was making her uncomfortable, Field said Kirchner was able to steal two large bottles containing a total of 1,010 vicodin pills and flee the store.
Field said that Kirchner was able to pilfer the bottles by scaling some shelves and reaching over a Plexiglas partition.
State police forensic investigator Trooper Charles Morrison was able to take multiple fingerprints from the area that confirmed Kirchner had climbed the shelves and reached into the pharmacy workstation where the pill bottles had been located, Field said.
While the in-store value of the pills was determined to be $419, the street value of the drugs is estimated between $7,500 and $10,000.
Kirchner is described as a white man with black hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding Kirchner’s whereabouts is asked to call police at 724-430-2929.