Dublin Man Sentenced To More Than 14 Years In Prison For Series Of Armed Robberies Targeting San Francisco Pharmacies

SAN FRANCISCO – Adam Herrick was sentenced Thursday, November 29, 2018, to 171 months in prison for six robberies targeting San Francisco pharmacies, announced U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable William H. Orrick, U.S. District Judge.

Herrick, 36, a Dublin resident, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2018, to six counts of interference with commerce by robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”) and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.  At the time of his plea, Herrick admitted to committing all six robberies between March 15, 2015, and April 17, 2017, at various San Francisco businesses, including multiple Walgreens and CVS locations, and one independent pharmacy.  In several of the robberies, Herrick jumped over the pharmacy counter and brandished a black semi-automatic pistol as he demanded that the pharmacist and pharmacy employees hand over prescription drugs, including Fentanyl and OxyContin.  The total value of the drugs that Herrick stole during the two-year robbery spree amounted to $32,360.  

A federal grand jury indicted Herrick on March 1, 2018, charging him with six counts of Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A).  Herrick pleaded guilty and was sentenced as to all counts in the indictment.   

In addition to the prison term, Judge Orrick ordered Herrick to serve a five-year period of supervised release, and further ordered Herrick to compensate each victim pharmacy for its monetary losses resulting from the robberies.  Herrick is currently in custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Boome is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney and Marina Ponomarchuck.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by the San Francisco Police Department and the ATF.