Indiana pharmacist charged in ‘astronomical’ drug theft case still holds ‘free and clear’ license

MUNCIE, Ind. — A former Muncie hospital pharmacist is facing multiple felony charges tied to the alleged theft of massive quantities of powerful opioids, but more than a year after his arrest — and even longer since the diversion was discovered — his Indiana pharmacy license remains active, unrestricted and untouched by state regulators.

Christopher Knoth, of Yorktown, was arrested in July 2024 by the IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Police Department after a hospital audit triggered an investigation and a search warrant that uncovered what police described as “a large quantity of drugs” at his home.

A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle identified more than 35,000 vials of hydromorphone and methadone that was stolen. 

The drug thefts — amounting to an average of 500 vials a month — are alleged by hospital officials to have taken place over the course of five years.

IU Health representatives said Knoth was “immediately terminated” after the hospital discovered the diversion in July 2024, but the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t file formal charges until August 2025.

Despite being what members of the Indiana Board of Pharmacy called “one of the largest diversions” to ever come before the licensing body, the regulatory side of Knoth’s case has stalled, and pharmacy board members have repeatedly emphasized that they c...