The 20-year licensed professional stole controlled substances valued at $750 and also took food and retail items without paying.
Published: Feb. 04, 2026, 8:45 p.m.at a Lancaster County Weis was charged last week after he stole more than 1,500 prescription pills and various retail items, charging documents said. Nathan J. Bear, who has been licensed as a pharmacist in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, was charged Jan.
30 after large amounts of controlled substances were reported missing to a Weis manager. Bear was hired as a pharmacist at the Weis along the 1200 block of Millersville Pike on Jan. 5, 2025. He began stealing controlled substances and retail items just months later, between July and December 2025. After being notified of the missing medications, the Weis asset protection team installed hidden cameras throughout the pharmacy. The store’s internal investigation found Bear stole controlled substances on at least 13 occasions starting in July 2025. During an interview with Weis staff, Bear admitted to stealing the medications to fuel his drug addiction. Footage from the hidden cameras showed Bear hiding additional bottles of controlled substances, primarily Oxycodone, up his sleeve while he fulfilled legitimate prescriptions, police said.To hide the thefts, Bear also fraudulently edited Weis’ computer data to show the stolen pills being issued to prescription holders. In total, Bear stole 1,503 controlled substance pills, which primarily consisted of 100-pill bottles of 30mg Oxycodone and Oxycodone/Acetaminophen. Charging documents also said Bear stole “additional pills,” but did not specify what they were. The stolen pills were valued at just over $750. In addition to the stolen medications, Bear was captured taking phone chargers, meat, hashbrowns, candy, batteries, rice and a birthday card from the Weis without paying. Bear turned himself in to the police on Tuesday and was arraigned and released on $10,000 unsecured bail. He is charged with felony acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud, theft by unlawful taking, tampering with records and related charges. Other charges he faces include possession of a controlled substance and dispensing a controlled substance without the required information.Madison Montag is the nightside public safety reporter at PennLive. He covers daily breaking news and provides informative, conversational copy on a wide range of public safety issues throughout central...
Lancaster-County Pharmacy Theft Police Prescription-Pills Oxycodone Section:/Crime
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