Ronkonkoma man charged in Smithtown pharmacy robbery, cops say
Suffolk police's K-9 unit responds to the scene Wednesday after a man robbed a pharmacy in Smithtown. Credit: Christopher Sabella
A Ronkonkoma man robbed a Smithtown pharmacy Wednesday but was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby church and charged with robbery, Suffolk police said.
John Giunta, 29, demanded narcotics from the pharmacist at Smithtown Prescription Center, at 260 E. Main St., just before 10 a.m. and ran off with the drugs, police said. He threatened to use force, so the pharmacist gave him various narcotics, detectives said.
But within 10 minutes of the robbery report, officers found him in the rear parking lot of the United Methodist Church at 230 E. Main, police said. They recovered all the drugs, police said.
Major case detectives charged Giunta, of Richmond Boulevard, with third-degree robbery. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
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