Robbery suspect plans to admit guilt

PONDERAY—  An Alaska man indicted the strong-arm robbery of a Ponderay credit union intends to plead guilty, according to U.S. District Court records.

Federal public defender Amy Rubin filed notice of Karl Erik Erickson's intentions on Monday, according to court records.

A grand jury indicted Erickson on one county of bank robbery in connection with the July 7 heist at the Horizon Credit Union on Bonner Mall Way.

Erickson informed a teller that robbery was occurring and demanded $5,000, court documents allege. He made off with $3,410 in the robbery.

Erickson, 32, managed to elude capture until July 10, when he was arrested without incident during a traffic stop in Kootenai County.

He was initially charged in Idaho's 1st District Court, but the matter was dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.

Erickson was scheduled to be tried in federal court on Sept. 15.

He remains held at the Bonner County Jail because federal prosecutors successfully argued that Erickson was a flight risk due to the seriousness of the offense and the weight of the evidence against him, court records indicate.

Erickson faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced.

Further proceedings in the case are pending.

Erickson is linked to addresses in Palmer and Wasilla, Alaska. Erickson, according to that state's online courts database, has an extensive criminal record consisting mostly of misdemeanors.

However, he also has felony drug and theft arrests, in addition to a conviction for forcible robbery in 2004.