Niagara Falls Burglar Pleads Guilty to Pharmacy Heist

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A grim tale of criminal intent unfurled today as Darren Lockett, 37, of Niagara Falls, NY, stood before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo and pleaded guilty to burglarizing Macleod’s Pharmacy. The crime carries a heavy penalty: up to 20 years in the slammer and a quarter-million-dollar fine.

Lockett, a man all too familiar with the dark of night and the art of stealth, had meticulously planned his heist. On February 9, 2016, he slipped into the pharmacy’s basement, flashlight in hand, and waited for the store to lock its doors. The now-convicted burglar, an expert at what he did, knew every nook and cranny of the building. Once alone with the drugs, he made his escape with a cache of 60 suboxone tablets, 500 diazepam tablets, and 500 clozapine tablets.

Patricia Astorga, Assistant U.S. Attorney, was unrelenting in her pursuit of justice. She detailed how Lockett’s criminal activity was uncovered thanks to the relentless work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Niagara Falls Police Department under Chief Bryan DalPorto.

The investigation that led to Lockett’s conviction was a joint effort, with Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt of the DEA New York Field Division taking the lead alongside local law enforcement. Today’s guilty plea is just one step in their relentless battle against drug trafficking and pharmaceutical thefts.

Sentencing for the admitted burglar is set for May 9, 2017, at 9:00 a.m., where Judge Vilardo will determine Lockett’s fate. The community of Niagara Falls watches with a heavy heart, knowing that justice has been served but also that the costs of this crime run deep.

For more information on this case or to speak with Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, please contact Barbara Burns at (716) 843-5817 or via fax at (716) 551-3051.