Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brent Basden handed down a 171-month prison term on Tuesday to a Port Hadlock resident for his role in the April 2025 heist at a Sequim bank branch. The defendant, a 59-year-old man, accepted a negotiated plea deal that resulted in the dismissal of several serious sentencing enhancements.
The man, who has not admitted to wrongdoing but stated that the evidence was sufficient for a conviction, entered an Alford plea to first-degree robbery, three counts of second-degree assault, and second-degree theft. Court records indicate that the judge accepted the plea after the defendant agreed that police reports or a probable-cause statement could establish the facts for the court.
The 14-year and three-month sentence represents the upper limit of the standard sentencing range for the robbery charge, which spanned from 129 to 171 months. Additionally, the judge imposed concurrent prison terms of 84 months for each assault count and 29 months for the theft count. Upon his release from prison, the defendant will serve an additional 18 months of community custody under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.
During the community custody period, the defendant is prohibited from having contact with the bank’s property or any individual he knows to be an employee of that financial institution. The judge also determined that the defendant is indigent, waiving non-restitution legal financial obligations.
The incident took place around 3:30 p.m. on April 9, 2025, at the Kitsap Bank location at 1320 W. Washington St. According to initial police reports, a masked individual carrying pepper spray demanded cash from a teller and escaped on foot. No injuries were reported in the initial account.
Sequim police, with assistance from the Peninsula Crisis Response Team, apprehended the suspect at his Jefferson County home around 6 a.m. on May 9, 2025. Investigators reviewed surveillance video from nearby establishments, spoke with witnesses, and acted on tips from the public. A search of the suspect’s residence yielded evidence linked to the robbery.
A local defense attorney presented the agreed-upon sentencing recommendation to the court. The defendant opted not to address the judge directly.