Alleged Serial Pharmacy Robbers Indicted

The U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted two Philadelphia men today on charges alleging their involvement in robbing almost 20 pharmacies in and around the Philadelphia area.

One of those robberies was the Abington Rite Aid in October. In that incident, Abington Police Deputy Chief John Livingood said, "No shots were fired and nobody was injured. [The suspect] went into the office and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.”

See the story here.

Edward Schaeffer, 29, and William Webb, 50, both of Philadelphia were named in the indictment that alleges the two conspired to use a stolen Harrington and Richardson .22-cal. handgun to rob several pharmacies. 

According to the indictment, Schaeffer and Webb agreed that Schaeffer would wear gloves and a mask, would enter pharmacies armed with the gun and would obtain drugs — including endocet, methadone, oxycontin and oxycodone — to use or sell. The two would divide the cash stolen from the pharmacies. Webb was the alleged getaway driver, according to the indictment. 

The alleged robberies date back to December 2011, in which QRX Pharmacy in the 7000 block of Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, robbed, according to the indictment.

Seventeen of the robberies happened in Philadelphia; the other two robberies happened in Abington and Glenolden.

Both defendants are charged with conspiracy, robbery and weapons charges. 

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office,  if convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1.25 million. They face a mandatory 32 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence.