Oakdale Man, Former Deputy Appears in Court on Drug Charges

The former Washington County Deputy accused of stealing prescription drugs from a public drop box made his first court appearance last week.

Ricky Harry Gruber, 43, of Oakdale, faces three felony counts and two gross-misdemeanor charges after surveillance footage purportedly showed him taking drugs from the drop box, a means for the public to dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medications in a safe manner. 

Gruber in February since resigned from Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

A jury trial is set for this fall, and his attorney did not say how Gruber intends to plead on the charges, according to the Pioneer Press. A Wright County judge is hearing the case in order to avoid a conflict of interest, the newspaper reports.

A Washington County deputy in late January noticed a secure “drug drum” was missing and later returned, according to the criminal complaint. The deputy reported his findings to superiors, and surveillance cameras were installed to monitor the drug cabinet.

Footage from Feb. 6 showed Gruber removing items from the drop-off box and officials installed additional cameras, the complaint says.

On Feb. 12, a live feed camera showed Gruber opening the drop-off box and taking drugs into his office. (He did not have authorization to access the drop box.) Gruber was then arrested.

In an interview with police, Gruber said he took the drugs for personal use, and nearly 300 pills were found in his office and vehicle, according to the complaint.

Gruber was hired to the sheriff's office in 1997 and served on the narcotics team from 2004-09.

Sheriff Bill Hutton in February told the Pioneer Press that he was “extremely disappointed and embarrassed as an organization,” adding that his department was taking steps to “tighten things up.”

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