Police: Blairsville man faked bomb to rob pharmacy
A 39-year-old Blairsville man allegedly admitted to police he rigged up a fake explosive device using iPod wires and road flares when he robbed a Derry Borough drugstore of painkillers Monday afternoon.
Derry police charged Gregory S. Dorough of 116 Front St. with robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and possession of controlled substances.
Police allege Dorough entered the Rite Aid Pharmacy at Second Avenue and Y Street at 1:51 p.m., walked back to the pharmacy and demanded that employees give him OxyContin, a prescription painkiller.
Sgt. James Friscarella wrote in an affidavit of probable cause that Dorough told the pharmacist “that she had 20 seconds to fill up the bag with OxyContin pills or he was blowing up the store.”
“Mr. Dorough stated that he taped road flares to his chest and put an iPod earbud (that resembled an explosive) in his nose,” Friscarella wrote.
Police Chief Randy Glick said the robber had a wire with white tape running from his nose, down the front of his chest and into his clothing, which bulged at his midsection.
Friscarella said police were led to Dorough late Monday through tips from the public after the media reported details about the robbery and the suspect's flight in a dark-colored van.
One tipster “stated that Dorough has had drug problems because of back surgeries and walks with a pronounced limp,” Friscarella reported in the affidavit.
A store employee identified Dorough through a photograph lineup, Friscarella reported.
Police said Dorough fled with 1,746 OxyContin pills.
When police served a search warrant at his residence, Dorough admitted that he robbed the store and he surrendered the pills, police said. Some were inside a candy box and some were hidden above a ceiling tile.
Dorough was jailed at the Westmoreland Country Prison after failing to post $25,000 bond set by Derry Township District Judge Mark Bilik. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 10.
Paul Peirce is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-850-2860 or ppeirce@tribweb.com.
