BOSTON – A North Andover man was charged on June 17, 2026 in federal court in Boston in connection with the May 2026 armed robbery of a CVS Pharmacy in Danvers, Mass., where the defendant allegedly robbed the store of various prescription drugs at gunpoint.
Gareth Francis, 45, has been charged with one count of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly known as Hobbs Act robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Francis is currently held in pretrial custody on state charges in Salem District Court. Francis will make his initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, on May 11, 2026, minutes before 8:00 PM, Francis allegedly entered the store wearing a ski mask and carrying a black plastic bag and a firearm and walked over to a door to the pharmacy area, which was locked. It is alleged that he turned and pointed his gun at a pharmacy technician standing at the register before climbing over the counter.
Francis allegedly then made it to a back counter in the pharmacy, telling another pharmacist to “open the [narcotics] safe now or I’ll shoot you” as he pointed a gun at her.
Over the next few minutes, the pharmacists retrieved various bottles and boxes of prescription drugs at Francis’s demand and placed them into his bag. It is alleged that Francis again demanded the pharmacist open the safe, telling her that she had “30 seconds” or he was “gonna shoot [her].” After a cellphone alarm was heard going off, Francis allegedly told the pharmacist that she was “lucky,” and he left the pharmacy.
An officer arrived outside the store and saw Francis run out the rear entrance through which he had entered. It is alleged that the officer ordered Francis to stop, but Francis kept running as the officer chased him on foot. The officer eventually caught up to Francis, tackling him to the ground in the middle of the street, where a physical struggle ensued. While on the ground, the officer saw Francis holding a silver firearm in his hand, which he was allegedly attempting to raise toward the officer. The officer was eventually able to disarm Francis and maintain control over him until additional officers arrived to assist, at which time Francis was placed under arrest. A loaded 9mm firearm, multiple magazines of ammunition, and a bag containing the stolen drugs were recovered from the scene.
According to the charging document, Francis has prior federal convictions for providing false information in connection with firearms purchases and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Danvers Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potapchuk of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
