Rockville Centre man charged in pharmacy robberies

Nassau County police arrested a Rockville Centre man after he allegedly robbed a Lynbrook pharmacy on Monday afternoon.

According to police, Joseph Chieffo, 27, of 4345 Clinton Ave., Apt. 1, entered Pickers Pharmacy, 18 Atlantic Ave, at 3:15 p.m., jumped over the counter and demanded that the pharmacist give him Oxycodon. After receiving an undetermined number of pills, Chieffo allegedly fled from the store on foot. A short time later detectives found him at the A&B Deli, 245 Merrick Road in Lynbrook and arrested him without incident. Detectives were able to recover everything Chieffo allegedly took during the robbery.

After further investigation, detectives determined that Chieffo was also responsible for a robbery of Oxycodon that had occurred at the same pharmacy two days earlier — on the afternoon of Nov. 5.

Chieffo was charged with two counts of third-degree robbery and was arraigned on Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead.