South Carolina Man Is Sentenced To More Than 12 Years For Robbing Three Pharmacies

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christopher Michaud, 43, of Chesterfield, South Carolina, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and three years of supervised release today on robbery and firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief J. Bryan Gilliard of the Monroe Police Department.

According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between January and April 2020, Michaud robbed three pharmacies and illegally obtained large amounts of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. In two of the robberies, Michaud brandished a firearm. The first robbery occurred on January 26, 2020, during which Michaud walked into the Walgreens pharmacy located at 500 Fincher Street in Monroe, North Carolina, and handed a note to the pharmacy clerk. The note stated that Michaud had a gun and instructed the clerk to hand over specific prescription opioids. The clerk complied and Michaud fled the scene with various prescription medications including Oxycodone pills, generic Xanax pills, and Methadone pills.

On March 4, 2020, Michaud robbed the CVS pharmacy located at 625 East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe. Michaud entered the pharmacy at approximately 6:15 p.m. and gave a note to the clerk demanding certain prescription medications and threatening to come back and shoot everyone. During the robbery, Michaud flashed a small handgun at the clerk and demanded that the clerk “make it quick.” The clerk handed Michaud a bag with prescription drugs and Michaud left the store. The third robbery occurred on April 2, 2020, during which Michaud robbed the Walgreens located at 1993 Dickerson Boulevard in Monroe. Once again, Michaud handed the pharmacy clerk a note demanding prescription narcotics and flashed a handgun. The clerk complied, but during the robbery another store employee called 911 to report the incident. Officers with the Monroe Police Department arrested Michaud as he exited the pharmacy. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement recovered the stolen prescription medications and the pistol that Michaud used during the robbery.

On June 23, 2021, Michaud pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of a business affecting interstate commerce, or “Hobbs Act” robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Michaud is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

In making this announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and the Monroe Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.