An elderly New York pharmacist is facing criminal charges after police allege that he forced a woman to remove her clothes in front of him before he would fill her prescription.
Robert Kenzia, 81, is also accused of telling the customer at the Niagara Falls pharmacy where he works that he would tell other pharmacists in the area to deny her prescriptions if she did not do as he demanded, WKBW in Buffalo reported.
The Niagara Gazette reported that Kenzia was charged Tuesday with coercion, a misdemeanor under New York state law, in connection with his alleged actions toward the female customer. Niagara Falls police believe there could be other victims in the case, which could lead to additional charges.
"We received some traffic on the tip line that we have to investigate," Niagara Falls police Superintendent Bryan DalPorto told the Gazette.
DalPorto’s department, which is handling the probe into Kenzia’s alleged behavior, began its investigation after receiving a tip.
Kenzia, who faces up to a year in jail, was booked and released on his own recognizance, the Gazette reported.
Acquaintances of the pharmacist expressed shock over the charges.
"When I saw it, I laughed. It's not him," Diane Curtis told WKBW. "I'm shocked, truly shocked."
MacLeod's Drugs reopened after Kenzia's arrest by police and DEA agents. An employee at the pharmacy declined to answer questions when a reporter from the Gazette visited the location.
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