Surprise man charged in OxyContin heist pleads guilty
Guilty pleas have been entered by Nathaniel Shaw of Surprise man who was arrested Feb. 26 following a pharmacy robbery in which a bandit made off with nearly 500 pills of OxyContin, a powerful painkiller.
Shaw, 26, will face several punishment options, including probation and prison, when he is sentenced June 26 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Shaw was arrested after Surprise police received a tip that he had been trying to use forged prescriptions for OxyContin at local pharmacies. Shaw pleaded guilty last month to two counts of forgery and one count of misconduct involving weapons.
In July 2007, Shaw also pleaded guilty to possession of dangerous drugs, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.
Shaw came under investigation after a Feb. 22 holdup at the Walgreens pharmacy at 11514 W. Waddell Road.
The robber, who claimed to be armed with a gun, handed a pharmacist worker a note demanding the painkiller, according to Surprise police.
After receiving a tip and reviewing surveillance photos, police obtained a search warrant and raided Shaw's home.
Shaw, a convicted felon, was placed on 5 years' probation in November 2003 after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, according to court records.
