Licensing board warns pharmacy worker convicted of theft and fraud

A pharmacy worker convicted of stealing from a charity and defrauding a real estate investor will be allowed to continue working in the profession, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy has ruled.

As a state-authorized pharmacy support worker, Gregory Judas, 63, of Grimes, is allowed to perform nontechnical duties within an Iowa pharmacy, as assigned by a supervising pharmacist.

According to state records, Judas was convicted of second-degree theft in November 2020. That conviction stemmed from allegations that as president of the nonprofit Johnston Public Library Foundation, he stole $15,000 from two foundation bank accounts and spent the money on groceries and personal living expenses.

In that case, Judas was given a five-year suspended prison sentence and placed on probation for two years.

A few weeks after that conviction, the Board of Pharmacy issued him a license, which the board calls a “registration,” allowing him to work as a pharmacy support person.

In September 2021, Judas pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court. That charge was tied to allegations that he had bilked an investor out of $120,000 by falsely claiming to be developing a retirement center in Ames. He then spent the investor’s money on living expenses, prosecutors alleged. Earlier this year, Judas was convicted of mail fraud and sentenced to three years of probation.

In light of those criminal convictions, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy recently voted to restrict Judas’ employment as a pharmacy support person to his current employer. It also warned him that any future violations could result in additional sanctions.

Although the board did not identify Judas’ current employer, federal court records filed by Judas’ attorney earlier this year indicate Judas “has spent his lifetime working either at Hy-Vee or in real estate.”

After experiencing financial difficulties, the lawyer told the court, Judas “went back to where he started his career, at Hy-Vee and “has worked hard and progressed in his position at the pharmacy.”