Man sentenced for armed robbery of pharmacy in Lawrence

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for the July armed robbery of a Walgreens in Lawrence, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.

According to court documents, Tremond Blakey, 26, on July 1 entered the Walgreens located at 4555 N. Shadeland Ave. and approached the pharmacy counter, handed the technician a note that read: “I am armed and Dangerous. Give me all the Percocet, 10mg all oxy 30mg. No alarms.”

Blakley threatened the technician with a semiautomatic pistol following giving the note and pointed the gun toward the ground. The technician passed the note to the pharmacist, who retrieved four bottles of oxycodone and gave them to Blakey.

The pharmacist immediately called 911 and informed a Lawrence Police Department dispatcher of the armed robbery. An LPD patrol officer was in the vicinity of the Walgreens and immediately responded to the report of the robbery.

The responding officer ran into Blakey as he was running from the pharmacy counter toward the exit. He was taken into custody.

The officer began to search Blakey and found a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol in the front pocket of his hoodie and the bag containing the four stolen bottles of prescription pills.

Blakey was ordered to serve three years probation following his release.

“Armed criminals who terrorize our people must be held accountable. I am thankful for the quick reaction of the responding Lawrence Police Department officer in preventing the defendant from getting away with his crime and further endangering the public. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates our commitment to working closely with our partners at the FBI, LPD and all of federal, state, and local law enforcement as we seek to reduce gun violence.”

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in a release