A delivery driver was attacked outside a suburban Philadelphia pharmacy and robbed of $16,000 worth of high-demand weight loss drugs after three suspects allegedly traveled from New York to pull off the crime.
Police in Bensalem Township say the suspects targeted a delivery outside Smart Choice Pharmacy, where the driver was unloading two boxes containing Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Trulicity.
Officers described the crime as a strong-arm robbery that escalated quickly, leaving the victim assaulted and the suspects fleeing with the drugs.
Investigators say the robbery unfolded in plain view, with the suspects confronting the driver as the delivery was underway.
Authorities say force was used to take the boxes before the group rushed back to a gold-colored Toyota waiting nearby.
As the suspects sped off, the situation nearly turned more dangerous. Police say the getaway vehicle almost struck a witness who was attempting to record the robbery on a phone, adding another layer of risk to an already volatile scene.
Patrol officers received a 911 call moments later that included a description of the suspects’ vehicle.
Police say units quickly located the gold Toyota in the area and moved in, bringing the incident to a close within a short time.
Three suspects were taken into custody and later identified by Bensalem Police as Joshua Dupree, 41, of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, Jahnoi Dawkins, 21, of Albany, New York, and a 17-year-old male from New York City.
Authorities say the victim positively identified all three as being involved in the robbery.
Police say the group traveled together from New York with the intent to commit the crime.
Investigators believe the suspects were specifically after the pharmaceutical shipment rather than cash.
According to a Bensalem Police Department press release, the pharmacy had received unusual phone calls and emails in the days leading up to the robbery.
Those communications reportedly focused on delivery timing and logistics, raising red flags only after the crime occurred.
The suspects now face a slate of charges, including Robbery, Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, Simple Assault, and related offenses. Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges could be filed as the case moves forward.
Dupree and Dawkins were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Michael Gallagher.
Dupree’s bail was set at $150,000, while Dawkins’ bail was set significantly higher at $250,000, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations.
Both men are currently being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility. The juvenile suspect was remanded to the Bucks County Youth Detention Center, where he will remain as the case proceeds through the system.
The Bensalem robbery fits into a larger pattern of unusual and sometimes brazen thefts that have been grabbing attention across the country in recent weeks, many involving vehicles, cargo, or high-value goods.
Earlier this month, deputies in California stopped a classic 1979 Cadillac cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway, only to discover the driver was not the owner and had no license, registration, or proof of insurance.
Authorities later learned the car belonged to actor Jerry O’Connell and had been taken from his Calabasas home while he and his family were away.
The suspect reportedly claimed the Cadillac belonged to a family member but could not back up the story.
Deputies confirmed the vehicle was registered to the actor, known for roles in films such as “Stand By Me” and “Jerry Maguire,” and that it had been reported stolen.
In another strange theft case, a man accused of stealing two mandolins from a vintage guitar store in New Jersey ultimately returned the instruments along with a handwritten apology.
The owner of Lark Street Music shared the update in a Facebook post after surveillance footage of the alleged theft circulated online.
The store owner wrote that the suspect quietly returned the mandolins in shopping bags before fleeing on foot.
“SORRY, I BEEN DRUNK, MERRY CHRISTMAS. You are good man,” the apology note read.
The mandolins, identified as a Gibson F-12 and a Weber Yellowstone, were valued at $3,500 and $4,250.
Teaneck police continue to look into the incident and have not announced any arrests.
Cargo theft has also made headlines, including a case involving $400,000 worth of live lobsters taken from a truck headed to Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota.
The shipment was picked up in Massachusetts but never arrived at its destination.
Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, warned during a television interview that cargo theft is becoming a nationwide problem.
“This is a huge issue across the country,” Rexing said. “It directly impacts businesses and contributes to higher prices for consumers.”
Federal officials have echoed those concerns. The Department of Transportation recently flagged cargo theft as a growing threat, noting that such crimes cost the economy billions each year and disrupt supply chains.
For investigators in Bensalem, however, the focus remains on the violent pharmacy robbery that unfolded outside a local business.
Police continue to review evidence and statements as prosecutors prepare to move the case forward against the three suspects accused of turning a drug delivery into a street-level ambush.
