Pharmacist Who Stole 20K Pills Gets 120 Days In Workhouse

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Maple Grove man was sentenced to four months at the Hennepin County Workhouse on Wednesday for stealing thousands of drugs while working as a pharmacist.

Jeffrey Grothaus, 49, pleaded guilty in July to theft by swindle in the case. He had been accused of stealing 20,000 pills of five different drugs from May 1, 2015 to Aug. 2, 2016. He stole the pills from Carlson Pharmacy in Minnetonka and Wayzata Pharmacy.

Surveillance video caught Grothaus making "adjustments" in the computer systems, and was seen taking the pills, putting them in his pocket and later putting them in his work locker.

Grothaus was sentenced to 120 days at the Hennepin County Workhouse. He's eligible to serve as work release and is approved for electronic home monitoring after 50 days. He will also serve three years probation.