(WWJ) — A Michigan man will spend more than five years behind bars after being convicted of robbing multiple CVS pharmacies in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties.
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced 39-year-old Kristopher Kukola to 63 months in prison for the string of robberies in May and June of 2022.
Over the span of several weeks, Kukola robbed stores in Van Buren Township, Saline and Milan before he was arrested, thanks to the help of a decoy pill bottle with a GPS tracker.
Kukola robbed the stores in the same manner each time, according to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison’s office. He demanded prescription pills, brandished what the victims believed to be a gun and ordered the employees to lay on the floor.
Kukola first robbed a CVS in Van Buren Township on the night of May 24, 2022, according to Ison’s office. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and said “I’m armed,” and showed the handle of what the victim believed was a black handgun.
He then directed one of the victims to lay on the ground and got away with multiple pill bottles.
A little more than a week later on June 2, Kukola robbed a CVS in Saline. This time, according to Ison’s office, he gave the employees a list of medications and demanded they give him everything on the list. He also showed what the victim thought was a black handgun and demanded the victims to lay on the floor.
On June 8 Kukola returned to the same CVS in Van Buren Twp. he previously robbed and handed a list of prescription drugs to an employee, saying “put everything on the list in the bag, or I will start shooting. I have a gun,” according to Ison’s office.
Kukola’s final robbery came on July 7, when he robbed a CVS in Milan. Again, he handed an employee a list of prescription pills. But this time, officials say the employee placed a decoy pill bottle with GPS tracking into Kukola’s bag. The tracking device allowed law enforcement to follow Kukola, and ultimately led to his arrest.
Shortly after his arrest, police officials told WWJ Kukola ran from police near an apartment complex in Belleville. At one point, authorities had set up a perimeter around the area and a man told them “the guy you’re looking for ran that way.”
It turned out that tipster was actually Kukola himself. A search of his Jeep led to the discovery of a BB gun that matched the description of the gun used in the Milan robbery, along with prescription pills, according to a previous report.
“Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to addressing violent crime and protecting our community from the dangerous diversion of prescription drugs.” Ison said, per a press release. “No one should have to fear for their lives because they work in a pharmacy, and I commend the quick thinking of the pharmacy employee in giving the defendant the decoy pill bottle that ultimately led to his arrest."
This case was investigated by the Ann Arbor Police Department, Van Buren Township Police Department, Saline Police Department, Milan Police Department, Michigan State Police, and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Bean and Jasmine Moore.
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