SUNBURY - A 19-year-old Mount Carmel man, who brandished a knife at a clerk inside Community Pharmacy in Mount Carmel in September in an attempt to obtain oxycodone, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to one count of robbery.
Charles Raymond Frantz Jr., of 224 S. Locust St., entered the plea to the felony offense before Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage. Frantz also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of possession of drug paraphernalia relating to an Aug. 31 incident in Mount Carmel.
He will be sentenced in both cases in the near future, Sacavage said.
Two additional counts of robbery and misdemeanors of possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault and criminal attempt to commit theft filed by Mount Carmel Cpl. Chris Buhay and Patrolman Matthew Dillman in connection with the Sept. 20 robbery at Community Pharmacy will not be prosecuted at the time of sentencing.
Frantz, who was represented by Attorney Paige Rosini from the county public defender's office, was recommitted to Northumberland County Prison.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Toomey represented the commonwealth.
According to a criminal complaint, Frantz was observed pacing around the pharmacy at Oak and Fourth streets at about 3 p.m. Sept. 20 before placing an item on the counter to purchase. As a female clerk rang up the item, Frantz looked in his black shorts pockets for money. The clerk told police Frantz told her he would be right back and walked over near the door before returning to the register, throwing a dollar on the counter and brandishing a knife in his hand, police said.
Frantz then told the clerk that he wanted oxycodone "right now." The clerk asked Frantz if he had a prescription for the drug, to which he replied, "No, I want it right now." Frantz then ran out of the building empty handed.
Police, who were summoned to the pharmacy at 3:08 p.m., reported Michael Guise, of Mount Carmel, a maintenance employee at Community Pharmacy who was inside the pharmacy at the time of the robbery, pursued Frantz on foot. Barry Roseman, of Mount Carmel, who was in the area when the robbery occurred, also chased after Frantz in his work truck. Both civic-minded residents caught up and cornered Frantz about three blocks away in a parking lot at the rear of Mount Carmel Post Office at Hickory and Third streets.
Guise and Roseman detained Frantz at about 3:10 p.m. until police arrived and took him into custody.
Guise told police Frantz may have dropped something from a small ledge that he ascended before being apprehended. Dillman climbed up the ledge and recovered a black folding knife that was allegedly used in the robbery.
Police said a video surveillance camera inside the pharmacy shows Frantz walking to the counter, pulling a knife out in his left hand, opening the blade with his right hand and then switching the knife into his right hand. The camera also depicts Frantz running from the counter.
After being advised of his Miranda rights at the borough police station, Frantz provided police with verbal and written statements in which he admits to committing the robbery. Frantz said he fled from the store because he thought the clerk had activated an alarm.
Police said Frantz, who is originally from Locustdale, also was charged in connection with a Feb. 10 robbery at Bracey's Pharmacy in Ashland. He posted bail on those charges and had been free before allegedly committing the robbery at Community Pharmacy.