Palmer Alaska Man Sentenced for Ponderay Credit Union Robbery

COEUR D'ALENE - Karl Erik Erickson, 33, of Palmer, Alaska, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 48 months in prison followed by three years supervised release for his robbery of a Ponderay credit union, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian, a visiting judge from the Eastern District of Washington assigned to hear some Idaho cases, also ordered Erickson to pay $3,410 in restitution.  Erickson pleaded guilty to the charge on September 15, 2015.

According to court documents, Erickson admitted that in July 2015, he went into the Horizon Credit Union in Ponderay, Idaho, and told the teller it was a robbery.  He demanded money and took $3,410, and then fled the credit union.  Erickson was arrested three days later.  Erickson had one prior robbery. 

The case was investigated by Bonner County Sheriff’s Department, Idaho State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.