Escapee who robbed Las Vegas credit union during spree pleads guilty

A prison escapee who robbed a Las Vegas credit union while on the lam has pleaded guilty to 11 counts of bank robbery, carjacking and escape, federal authorities said.

William Etheridge, 56, pleaded guilty in federal court, according to a news release from Nicholas A. Trutanich, U.S. attorney for the District of Nevada.

Etheridge is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 29 by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey.

The release said that in May 2017, Etheridge escaped from the Northwest Regional Reentry Center in Oregon, where he was serving time for a federal bank robbery conviction.

According to authorities:

After his escape, Etheridge robbed nine banks in Oregon and Washington and attempted to rob another bank in Oregon during a six-week time frame in 2017.

On July 25, 2017, Etheridge stole $18,210 from a WestStar Credit Union in Las Vegas. He was armed with a pellet gun. After fleeing, Etheridge carjacked a vehicle with two people inside. He ordered them to take him to a motorcycle dealership, where he planned to buy a motorcycle to escape. He was arrested at the dealership.

Etheridge faces up to 20 years in prison for bank robbery, up to 15 years for carjacking and up to five years for escape.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@review-journal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.