Texas Man Sentenced for String of Nebraska Pharmacy Burglaries

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Christopher Allen Williams, 32, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced on August 23, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a string of pharmacy burglaries that occurred in Nebraska.  United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Williams to 63 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Williams will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Williams was also ordered to pay $24,917 in restitution.

From February 10, 2021 to February 12, 2021, seven Nebraska pharmacies, located in Springfield, Fremont, and Omaha, were burglarized.  In response, a Drug Enforcement Administration-led task force was formed, which included the Omaha Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol.  Analyzing cell-tower data, videos taken from the burglaries, and historical cell phone location data, the task force was able to identify specific cell phones that were present at the different burglaries.  It was determined from the data that the cell phones were traveling between Texas and Nebraska via Interstate 35.  With cooperation from law enforcement agencies in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa, it was determined that two individuals involved in the pharmacy burglaries were Christopher Blanton and Christopher Williams.

“Today’s verdict is a testament to the combined efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies working across five states,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “It is the responsibility of the DEA to investigate these cases of theft from pharmacies and we are grateful for the assistance of our partners in finding, arresting, and sentencing two individuals who crossed state lines while putting our community members at risk.”

Blanton was sentenced on May 17, 2023, to 63 months’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.