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Matt Sepic

Charges: Pharmacist stole 20,000 pills, including opioids

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A Twin Cities pharmacist appears in court Tuesday to face charges of stealing 20,000 pills, including opioid painkillers.

Authorities say Health Partners opened an internal investigation in July, 2016 after five different controled substances were stolen from its Park Nicollet pharmacies in Minnetonka and Wayzata.

According to the criminal complaint filed in March, pharmacist Jeffrey Flynn Grothaus was caught on surveillance video making adjustments to drug inventory lists. He is charged with four counts of felony theft by swindle.

Prosecutors say he was spotted at a pharmacy technician's computer when an order of 1,000 Tramadol tablets was made, even though there was a sufficient quantity of the opioid pain medication already on hand.

Authorities also say Grothaus can be seen adjusting inventory levels of Zolpidem, a sleep aid, after putting an item into his pocket and then placing it in his locker.

Prosecutors allege Grothaus admitted to DEA agents that he diverted the drugs for his personal use.

In a statement, Health Partners said it filed reports with the appropriate regulatory and law enforcement agencies after conducting a thorough investigation. A spokesperson says Grothaus no longer works for the organization.