A longtime crook with a need for narcotics briefly took a customer hostage at knife point while robbing a south Minneapolis pharmacy of more than 200 oxycodone pills, then was arrested while trying to swallow the evidence, a move that sent him to the hospital overdosing, according to charges.

Laurence J. Charette, 43, of Minneapolis, remains jailed ahead of a scheduled appearance Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court on charges of aggravated robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon.

At the time of last Tuesday's late-morning robbery, Charette was about five weeks into his supervised release from prison after pulling off similar crimes in Minneapolis.

In October 2010, he jumped the Walgreens pharmacy counter in Uptown with a knife and demanded oxycodone. Later that year, police said, he did much the same at Smiley's Clinic Pharmacy, operated by Fairview, in the 2000 block of East 28th Street.

Charette's criminal history in Minnesota spans his adult life, with many convictions for theft along with aggravated robbery, drug possession and domestic assault.

According to the criminal complaint in the latest incident:

Witnesses inside the pharmacy at Fairview Clinic Hiawatha at 3809 42nd Avenue S. told police that Charette pointed a knife at a clerk staffing a window and demanded narcotics.

The clerk backed away. Charette grabbed a woman in line at a window next to him, put the knife to her waist and threatened to kill her if he didn't get the narcotics.

Pharmacists gave Charette three bottles containing 204 oxycodone pills, and he left in a cab.

Police officers, using witness information and GPS data from the cab company, tracked down the taxi. The driver said he had just kicked out Charette and another man, Anthony J. Skinaway.

Officers quickly located the two, as well as a knife in the snow nearby. The three pill bottles were in Skinaway's jacket pocket.

Charette was "foaming from the mouth," apparently from downing some of the pills. A count revealed 29 pills were missing from the bottles.

Paramedics took both men to the Hennepin County Medical Center. Charette was admitted for overdosing, while Skinaway was released and taken to jail.

Skinaway, 34, of Coon Rapids, told police he was in the cab with Charette but didn't know of the plans to rob the pharmacy and was forced to hold the pills. The cabdriver said he saw Skinaway down several of the pills. Skinaway is jailed on charges of aggravated robbery.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482