ANDREW LEE LEHR, 34, of Portland, Oregon was sentenced today to 52 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the Armed Bank Robbery on March 6, 2003 of the Wells Fargo Branch at Vancouver Mall in Vancouver, Washington. The robbery was one of a string of crimes from Portland to Rapid City, South Dakota. LEHR's sentence will run concurrent to the five year sentence from South Dakota for Grand Theft.

According to documents filed in the case, LEHR blamed his crime spree on an addiction to methamphetamine. LEHR admits he walked up to the teller window at the Vancouver Mall Wells Fargo, placed a bag on the counter and stated "I want to make a rather large withdrawal. I want hundreds, fifties and twenties." LEHR raised his sweatshirt to show he had the grip of a pellet gun or air pistol sticking out of his waistband. LEHR left the bank with more than $8,600. LEHR was ultimately apprehended in Missoula, Montana driving a car he had obtained unlawfully in South Dakota. Most of the money taken in the bank robbery was recovered. In addition to the Vancouver bank robbery, LEHR faces charges in Multnomah County, Oregon for three robberies at a shopping mall.

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald B. Leighton ordered that LEHR undergo 500 hours of intensive drug treatment as part of his sentence.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington at (206) 553-4110.

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