Hawkeye Reporter

A Fairfield man has been sentenced to four years of probation for diverting prescription drugs from a pharmacy he owned and operated. Bryan Paul Vander Linden, 43, admitted in court documents that between June 2022 and at least November 2023, he took thousands of prescription pills from Summit Pharmacy of Iowa for his personal use.

Vander Linden acquired the drugs by ordering them without reporting them in the pharmacy’s inventory, taking them directly from the pharmacy stock, or removing pills from the controlled substance collection bin. Authorities determined that he obtained more than 3,500 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills—both classified as Schedule II controlled substances—as well as over 400 carisoprodol pills, a Schedule IV muscle relaxant.

The court also ordered Vander Linden to pay a $9,500 fine.

“Pharmacists are entrusted with the handling of controlled substances and ensuring that laws are followed in their handling,” DEA Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “This Iowa pharmacist broke that trust by diverting controlled substances for his own use. I commend the DEA Diversion Investigators whose work uncovered the diversion of controlled substances in this case and who work diligently to ensure that pharmacies follow the law and maintain a safe and secure environment.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa and the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the sentence. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.