Porter Pleads Guilty To Robbing Fayetteville Bank

FAYETTEVILLE -- A man who robbed Metropolitan National Bank on Wedington Drive in October pleaded guilty Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court.

Zachary Robert Porter, 18, of 5387 Clevenger No. 11, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors.

Porter had been charged with aggravated robbery and terroristic threatening.

Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay sentenced Porter to 15 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with five years suspended, leaving 10 years to serve.

Porter can be transferred to a boot camp program if he qualifies. Boot camp is intended to be less restrictive than prison but harsher than probation. Boot camp programs are for nonviolent, first-time offenders with sentences of 10 years or less.

The boot camp program generally lasts from 90 to 120 days. The time period is vastly shorter than what most inmates would serve before being eligible for parole. Once participants complete the program they are placed on supervised parole.

"Like a lot of kids his age, I think he was a young man a long way from his home and family making life-altering, bad decisions," said Charles Duell, deputy prosecuting attorney.

Police responded to a 911 call at the bank about 4:40 p.m. Oct. 9. Police said Porter entered the bank and passed a teller a note saying he was armed with "an explosive device." The teller gave Porter an undisclosed amount of money. Porter walked away west on Wedington Drive, according to police.

Sgt. Craig Stout said Porter went to the Catfish Hole on West Wedington Drive where Bret Bielema, University of Arkansas football coach, was being interviewed during his weekly radio show "On the Air with Bret Bielema."

"He went to the bathroom, ditched his hat and sunglasses and ran away," Stout said.

Police found Porter walking on Persimmon Street just after 6 p.m. He was arrested and admitted robbing the bank. Porter said he needed the money for rent, according to police.

Police confirmed Porter was never armed, and no one was injured. The bank was occupied by three bank employees at the time of the robbery.

The previous bank robbery in Fayetteville was Jan. 14, 2012, at the Metropolitan National Bank branch on North Shiloh Drive.

Police said Amos Eric Watts, 23, entered the bank about noon, brandished a gun and demanded money. Watts pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court to one count of robbery. He was sentenced to 20 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction.

NW News on 02/20/2014

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