Man pleads to robbery

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man who stuck up payday loan office last month waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday and pleaded guilty to robbery.

Steven Lee Keller is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11 in 1st District Court. He faces five years to life in prison, although the state has agreed to recommend a five-year sentence with retained jurisdiction. When the court retains jurisdiction, a defendant can become eligible for parole after serving about six months of the sentence.

The defense remains free to recommend a lesser sentence, according to court documents. None of the recommendations are binding upon the court, however.

Keller entered an Alford plea, which means he admits no wrongdoing, but concedes he could be convicted if the matter went to trial. Alford pleas are regarded the same as a guilty plea at sentencing.

Keller, 39, is accused of brandishing a utility knife and demanding cash. The robbery occurred at Sandpoint Title & Payday Loans at 808 West Lake St. on Nov. 12.

There were no injuries. The amount of money that Keller made off with was not disclosed, although court documents indicate it was, at the least, a little more than $200.

Though clad in a hooded sweatshirt, dark glasses and a bandana, Keller was immediately identified as the suspect because he was a frequent customer of the business and the employee he robbed clearly recognized his voice, court documents indicate.

He was tracked to the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Wash. When confronted by Sandpoint Police, he denied involvement in the robbery and said he had an alibi. Investigators planned to use surveillance camera footage and mobile phone records to dispute Keller’s alibi defense, a police report said.