Alleged involvement in a slew of summer pharmacy robberies has landed two former St. George officers in handcuffs after an ongoing investigation.
St. George Police Captain James Van Fleet released Thursday that Maxwell Houghton and Paulette Stoker were arrested for a robber at the Lin’s Pharmacy in Overton, Nevada. Houghton had been a suspect in several St. George pharmacy robberies and Stoker was labeled as a person of interest. Prior to their arrests, St. George Police investigators were sharing information with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.
Through information gathered from the investigations in St. George along with information from their recent arrest in Nevada, SGPD investigators have charged Houghton with four counts of robbery related to the St. George incidents. At this time, authorities say there is insufficient evidence to charge Stoker in the St. George robberies.
Local law enforcement released this information after each robbery:
On July 22, 2011 at 12:48 p.m., officers responded to a report of a robbery at the Kmart located on 745 S. Bluff St. The suspect was described as a white male wearing a grayish t-shirt, black baseball cap, a medical mask on his face and white latex gloves.
On July 28, 2011 at 10:42 a.m., officers responded to IHC-Instacare at 577 S. River Rd on a robbery in progress. A male walked into the IHC Pharmacy showed a gun and demanded medications. The suspect was described as a white male wearing a motorcycle helmet, rubber gloves, a black coat and jeans.
On August 15, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., officers responded to a robbery at the Professional Park Pharmacy. A male subject had entered the building on foot and demanded pain medication at gun point. He was described as a wearing a blue v-neck type sweeter with sweat style pants and what appeared to be a long dark haired wig. The subject had a medical mask covering his mouth and nose and a hat that was described as “fishing style”.
On August 19, 2011 at 6:18 p.m., officers responded to a report of a robbery at Smith’s Pharmacy located at 20 N Bluff. A man with a gun had robbed the pharmacy inside the store. Several prescription medications were taken.
Houghton was terminated from SGPD service while on probation in 2007, Stoker resigned in 2007.
Anyone else who might have unreported information in these robberies is asked to contact detective Adam Olmstead with the St. George Police Department at 435.627.4319
