Apr 28, 2016 3 min read

MASONTOWN – A Cumberland Township man is accused of robbing a Masontown area pharmacy at gunpoint Wednesday before police arrested him at his home a few hours later.

Charles Otto Kowalczyk II surrendered without incident about 2 p.m. after state troopers and Cumberland Township officers, with guns drawn, surrounded his home at 406 S. Market St. near Carmichaels.

Police were told three days earlier from workers at two Uniontown stores of a suspicious person wanting to buy a mask and gun, which helped investigators identify Kowalczyk and connect him to the pharmacy robbery.

Kowalczyk, 34, was arraigned late Wednesday night by District Judge Michael Defino on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, theft, possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and multiple counts each of terroristic threats, simple assault and evidence tampering. He is being held at Fayette County jail on $100,000 bond.

State police said Kowalczyk was wearing a mask when he went to CVS Pharmacy at 1845 McClellandtown Road in German Township shortly after 9 a.m., pointed a pistol at five employees and demanded prescription drugs.

His muffled voice through the “Guy Fawkes” mask – made popular from the “V is for Vendetta” movie – sounded as though he was asking for Oxybutin, which is used to treat bladder problems, prompting the pharmacy workers to think it was a prank, police said.

That led to an angry retort from the robber, police said.

“Give me all of your Oxycontin and Opana NOW!” the robber allegedly said, according to court documents.

The gun was pointed about a foot from one employee’s face, police said.

“He isn’t joking, give him the pills,” the employee told her colleagues, according to court documents.

Pharmacy employees told investigators 490 pills of Oxycontin worth nearly $3,655 were stolen during the heist. The robber left on a blue and white motorcycle driving on Route 21 toward Greene County, police said.

Police said they later received a tip of a person riding a similar motorcycle along Route 88 near the Sheetz just before the robbery.

While canvassing the area, police officers found “extremely fresh” motorcycle tracks leading through uncut grass leading directly to a shed at Kowalczyk’s home, court records indicate.

Police surrounded the home and called to Kowalczyk using a bullhorn, state police Sgt. Steven Dowlin said. Kowalczyk came out of the house without incident, Dowlin said, and was placed under arrest.

“It was a great job by everyone involved,” Dowlin said.

Investigators received a warrant from District Judge Lee Watson’s office and searched Kowalczyk’s residence. During the search, police said the same mask used in the heist, a motorcycle helmet and pill bottles, including some with CVS Pharmacy labels, which were burning in the fireplace. Police also said they found a 9mm handgun, along with drug paraphernalia.

Police said they received a tip form a Walmart employee Sunday of a man matching Kowalczyk’s description asking for ski masks, guns, gloves and binoculars at the store in Uniontown. The loss prevention officer then contacted neighboring Dick’s Sporting Goods warning of them of the man, who asked workers at that store if they sold ski masks.

He left without buying anything, but a worker took a photo of the man’s motorcycle and license plate, which matched the bike used in the pharmacy robbery.

The employee then contacted state police and gave them the photograph and video surveillance, which state police used to identify Kowalczyk through motor vehicle records.

Kowalczyk’s preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 10.