Councilman in Ski Mask Steals $16,395 Worth of Opiates From Local Pharmacy

Councilman Kirk Mullen of West Reading Pennsylvania was arrested last week for robbing a pharmacy in his own district. Mullen reportedly covered his face with a ski mask during the robbery while stealing $16,395 worth of opiates from the store.

Berks County District Attorney John Adams said there as no evidence that Mullen had a weapon, but authorities were able to retrieve pill bottles from his home.

“I think this is a classic example where an individual robbed a store for one thing and one thing only — prescription opioid pills, which are dangerous and very addictive. We are all somewhat shocked and surprised that we have an individual who was a public official to be involved in this type of crime. It’s concerning, and to say the least, unusual,” Adams told WFMZ.

“I will tell you that one of the main items that was collected was a pill bottle, which was stolen during the robbery of the West Reading Drug Store. That pill bottle has specific markings on it and could be traced. As for the whereabouts of those pills, we do not know, and I can only surmise that some may have been sold. I really don’t know. I’ve been the district attorney for 12 years and I do not recall a individual in a position of something like a borough councilman being charged with a felony offense such as robbery,” he added.

West Reading Mayor Andrew Kearney released a statement after Mullen’s arrest, appearing to show support for the disgraced councilman, who still technically holds office:

“Councilman Mullen is still on West Reading Borough Council and Councilman Mullen is innocent till proven guilty. Since August, Councilman Mullen and I have discussed some of his personal issues at great length. I was and still, am sympathetic toward Councilman Mullen with regard to the conditions that led up to this alleged act. I am praying that Councilman Mullen can maintain his strength and focus to get through this. All of my thoughts right now are with Councilman Mullen and his family.”

Mullen recently joined the city council in January 2019.

The crime was ultimately solved by security camera footage, which showed Mullen in the store on numerous other occasions without a mask. Surveillance footage from nearby buildings also showed the suspect running in the direction of Mullen’s home.

The robbery was described in court documents:

“The suspect, later identified as Mullen, walked into the drug store and announced, “This is a robbery,” and ordered several employees to put their hands up and to open a cabinet where narcotics were stored. Mullen ordered at least one employee to back up because he “didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Mullen is currently being held at Berks County Prison on $200,000 bail.

Last week, The Mind Unleashed reported that the mayor of a small Florida town engaged in a gunfight with police after they came to arrest him for practicing medicine without a license. He is now facing multiple counts of attempted murder in addition to his original charges.