CLEARFIELD – A DuBois man accused of breaking into an area pharmacy has pleaded guilty in Clearfield County Court.
Justin Brett Smith, 31, 2177 Caribbean Rd., 1547 Treasure Lake, DuBois, an inmate of the jail, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal mischief. He was sentenced to six months to one year in jail and two years consecutive probation. He was fined $350 plus costs and must pay restitution of more than $19,000.
The charges stem from an incident May 3 in DuBois. According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the Medicine Shoppe where an alarm had sounded. Smith was apprehended inside the store, carrying a black bin with white pill bottles in it. He failed to get down when the police ordered him but was eventually taken down and handcuffed. In addition to the pills in the bin, he had white pill bottles and fentanyl patches stuffed in his pockets.
During his interview with police, Smith said he was driving past the building when he saw three people and heard glass breaking. He said he thought he knew two of the people and he was being a good person by stopping to see what they were doing. He claimed once he got inside, someone hit him on the head and he fell. When he got up, he saw things scattered around. He started gathering the things up to give to police, he stated.
A surveillance video shows Smith at the door with glass shattering. He then goes through the door and smashes a second glass door with a rock. He can be seen going through the pharmacy and picking up items and putting them in the black bin.