Repeat robber sentenced to 14 years

A robber who twice held up the same Spokane credit union got double the sentence he was hoping for when he appeared before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Justin Quackenbush.

William J. Lawrence, described as a “danger to society” by the federal judge, was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison. His court-appointed attorney had asked the judge to sentence the 47-year-old defendant to no more than seven years.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Harrington asked the court to sentence Lawrence to 15½ years, based in part on his criminal history, which includes a 1998 Spokane bank robbery. He was sentenced to four years in prison for that crime.

Lawrence was indicted in April and later pleaded guilty to two counts of robbing a federally insured credit union.

He robbed Horizon Credit Union, 5921 N. Market St., of $6,540 on March 7 and escaped.

He returned to the same Hill-yard credit union April 7 and grabbed $2,572 after jumping over the counter and ordering employees and customers to lie on the floor.

As the robber fled, Paul Hamilton, who works in an adjoining insurance business, gave chase, stopping a passing car to assist.

After a chase of several blocks, Hamilton tackled the robber and held him until police arrived.

“They take care of us, we take care of them,” Hamilton, a lifelong Hillyard resident, said last April in describing his credit union neighbors.

The money taken in the second robbery was recovered, Harrington said. The cash taken in the first robbery presumably was spent by the robber.

The court was told Lawrence was addicted to crack cocaine and used the robbery proceeds to buy illegal drugs.