Bank robbery suspect enters a guilty plea

The man who admitted to robbing a Boulder City bank in March could face as many as 21 years in prison, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Gerald Bickford, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of failure to stop at a police officer’s signal April 9 in District Court.

Bickford entered the Nevada State Bank on Nevada Way at approximately 9 a.m. March 5 and told the teller he was armed, according to Boulder City police.

Bickford left the bank with $840, according to Sgt. Aaron Johnson, and drove north on U.S. Highway 95 before being pursued by Nevada Highway Patrol.

Bickford, who Johnson said was driving a red Dodge Charger with Maine license plates, then exited near U.S. 95 and Martin Luther King Boulevard when NHP tried to pull him over.

Johnson said Bickford fled on foot, but was apprehended by Boulder City Police about 10 a.m. near Rancho Drive and Charleston Boulevard.

Johnson said the out-of-state license plates were not registered to the car that Bickford was driving.

According to WMUR-TV in Portsmouth, N.H., Bickford also is wanted in connection to a Feb. 2 grocery store robbery.

Sgt. John Peracchi of the Portsmouth Police Department said it plans on working out the extradition details with its county attorney.

“We have an active arrest warrant for him,” he said. “Likely, he’ll serve time out there (in Nevada) first and then we’ll wait in line for him, but that’s something we’ll work out.”

Peracchi said an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the grocery store in Portsmouth. It is still unknown if Bickford committed any other crime in between New Hampshire and Nevada.

Bickford faces a minimum of two years in prison for the robbery charge, which carries a maximum of 15 years. He’ll face a minimum of one year and a maximum of six for the second charge, according to his guilty plea.

Peracchi said Bickford is scheduled to be indicted in New Hampshire on May 6. Once he’s indicted, Peracchi added, New Hampshire authorities will make arrangements with Clark County authorities to work out extradition.

Bickford is scheduled to be sentenced in District Court on May 28.