A Fairfield pharmacist has admitted guilt over charges of prescription drug diversion, involving the theft of thousands of prescription pills over a period. Bryan Paul Vander Linden pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025, to misappropriating controlled substances from his pharmacy, which he owned and operated in Des Moines, Iowa.
Court documents outlined Vander Linden's actions, revealing that from June 2022 to November 2023, he unlawfully acquired prescription pills for his personal use from Summit Pharmacy of Iowa. He executed this by not reporting the pills in inventory and removing them from stock or from the controlled substance collection bin. The substances included over 3,500 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills—both classified under Schedule II controlled substances—and more than 400 carisoprodol pills, a Schedule IV muscle relaxant.
Vander Linden's sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025. He could be sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the guidelines and statutory factors laid out by the United States.
The investigation into this matter is being led by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa.