Former UConn Pharmacist Accused Of Obtaining Drugs Through Forgery Enters Guilty Plea

STORRS, CT - A former pharmacist working at the University of Connecticut infirmary has entered a guilty plea to first-degree larceny and the illegal distribution of narcotics, court records indicate.

The plea was entered Friday. The Hartford Courant reported that he is facing a two-year prison sentence.

Michael Olzinski, 46, of 21 Kathy Drive, Coventry, was arrested on a warrant April 20, UConn police said. His original charges included first-degree larceny, second-degree forgery (for 173 "forged instruments," a warrant indicates), the illegal manufacture, distribution or sale of drugs and narcotics possession, according to an arrest warrant.

The investigation into Olzinski's activities began in April 2015 when auditors and compliance officers notified police that they uncovered what appeared to be thefts at the UConn Student Health Services infirmary, according to an arrest warrant. It seemed Olzinski had been obtaining drugs and personal items for family and friends and himself, according to audit statements cited in an arrest warrant.

He was placed on administrative leave on April 9 and resigned on June 8, UConn police said.

Accusations included falsifying records to obtain both prescription and over-the-counter drugs without paying for them, an arrest warrant indicates. Some cash transactions were omitted at the point of sale, according to an arrest warrant.

At one point, he was also working with a friend, according to a warrant.

An investigation pinpointed a period between 2012 and 2014, according to an arrest warrant. One segment determined that of 370 documents examined, 244 of them were fraudulent, according to an arrest warrant.

Photo Credit: UConn; UConn Police