Wednesday, 29 August 2007 00:32

Bank of Amador Robber Gets Three Strick Sentence

slide4District Attorney Todd Riebe has announced the sentencing of a bank robber that robbed the Jackson Branch of the Bank of Amador last November. William Whitaker, of Valley Springs, was arrested shortly after the robbery on Hwy 49 near Detert Park after being spotted by Amador County Sheriff’s Sgt. Charles Ray. Bank of Amador Teller Lorene Hickman reported to law enforcement, on the day of the robbery, that Whittaker had approached her window and passed her note which read “I have a gun- no alarms- give me all the cash, quick and quiet, and no one gets hurt”.
Hickman complied and handed 1-thousand 312-dollars to Whittaker. Whittaker then left the bank and Hickman announced to the rest of the employees that she had been robbed. Law enforcement was called immediately and Whittaker was spotted by Sgt Ray after the suspect has cut off his beard and changed his clothes. After arrival on scene, Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison discovered the stolen monies in Whittaker’s front pocket- Whittaker later admitted that he had committed the robbery. According to DA Riebe Whittaker was sentenced to 38 years to life for the robbery by Amador County Superior Court Judge Dave Richmond. Whittaker had been charged with 2nd degree robbery, a felony, along with two prior strikes under California’s Three Strike Law. One of the prior strikes was from a bank robbery committed in Oklahoma, the second strike was for an assault using force likely to cause great bodily injury. “Whittaker is a poster child for the three strikes law” stated DA Riebe.