Bail lowered in robbery case

SANDPOINT — Bail has been reduced for a pharmacy robbery suspect who waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Zachariah David Lindberg is scheduled to be arraigned in 1st District Court next month on a charge of robbery. If convicted, he could be sentenced anywhere from five years to life in prison.

Lindberg was being held on $100,000 bail, but it was lowered in exchange for foregoing Wednesday’s hearing and proceeding directly to district court.

Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson proposed reducing Lindberg’s bail to $5,000 or $10,000, while Prosecutor Louis Marshall held the line at $25,000 because of the seriousness of the charge, court records indicate.

Judge Justin Julian agreed to lower Lindberg’s bail to $25,000, saying any lesser sum would be “inadequate.”

Lindberg, a 22-year-old from Careywood, is charged with the strong-arm holdup of the White Cross pharmacy in Sandpoint on March 11. Lindberg, according to police report, threatened to kill store workers unless they turned over OxyContin, a painkiller renowned for its strength and potential for abuse.

Lindberg allegedly advised pharmacy workers he had a firearm, although he later told police it was a ruse. No weapon was recovered and no weapon is mentioned in charging papers, court records show.

Sandpoint Police apprehended Lindberg within 10-15 minutes after he fled the pharmacy on foot. Officers reportedly discovered more than 200 doses of the painkiller in his pockets when he was arrested.

Under questioning, Lindberg allegedly admitted he had been addicted to the drug for more than a year.