Man Indicted For Armed Robbery At East Aurora Pharmacy

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo, NY has returned a two count indictment charging Ryan Peltan, 30, formerly of East Aurora, NY, with armed robbery of a pharmacy and possession of firearm in furtherance of crime of violence. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant entered Larwood’s Pharmacy, located at 597 Oakwood Ave. in East Aurora, on October 24, 2015, and took, by force, a large amount of controlled substances. As reported publicly, during the course of the robbery, Peltan displayed a firearm and threatened the owner, two customers, and a 16 year old clerk before fleeing the pharmacy.

On October 26, 2016, police in Akron, Ohio were investigating a suspicious motor vehicle in a mall parking lot. During the investigation, officers observed the defendant and another individual in a car that contained 23 firearms and numerous amounts and types of controlled substances. These controlled substances were traced to Larwood’s Pharmacy, and were identified as the controlled substances taken from the armed robbery that occurred at Larwood’s. Peltan and the other individual were arrested and remain in custody in Akron, Ohio.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the East Aurora Police Department, under the direction of Chief Shane Krieger and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.