Grand Forks County ( trfnews.i234.me ) – A Grand Forks pharmacist has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of stealing more than $15,000 worth of stimulant medications. Brayden Peter Joseph Trontvet, 36, entered the plea after waiving his preliminary hearing in Grand Forks County District Court.
Trontvet faces two Class B felonies: theft between $10,000 and $50,000 and deceptive writings over $10,000. Class B felonies are punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He is also charged with a Class C felony for acquiring a controlled substance by fraud and two Class A misdemeanors related to drug possession and ingestion.
The case was filed in October, but the allegations were first reported to law enforcement in May. A declaration of probable cause describes how the theft was discovered at Walls Long Term Care, located at 1322 Eighth Avenue South. The business is part of the Walls Medicine Center group.
According to the summary, the pharmacy owner and another pharmacist reported that Trontvet had been taking controlled substances for nearly a year. They said he used several methods, including creating a prescription label and cancelling it seconds later to hide the order in the inventory system.
Security footage from April 30 reportedly showed Trontvet placing a container of pills into a bag, putting the bag under his workstation, and leaving the building with it at the end of the day.
The owner estimated the value of the missing medications as:
- $9,796.96 for 809 Vyvanse pills
- $2,426.08 for 182 Concerta pills
- $1,343.29 for 100 Focalin pills
- $954.37 for 350 methylphenidate pills (generic Ritalin)
- $620.90 for 92 Adderall pills
- $489.40 for 33 Jornay PM pills
In total, investigators believe Trontvet stole 1,566 Schedule II stimulant pills valued at $15,631. These medications are often used to treat ADHD. Trontvet allegedly admitted to taking the drugs and said it was “pretty easy” to get around the system. He said the stimulants helped him handle social situations and denied selling or sharing any pills.
His next hearing is scheduled for February 19 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing is his final chance to accept any plea agreement. If he pleads after that date, the case would move to an open plea, and the judge would decide his sentence. More details about North Dakota felony classes can be found at ndcourts.gov.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.