Prescription Drug Addiction Leads Man to Wander Around Bank After Hours
Posted on January 29, 2010Visiting a bank after hours is generally not an activity bound for honest results. In the case of a 49-year-old man, his wandering around the inside of a Richland bank after hours appeared to have little to do with gaining access to money and more to do with a prescription drug addiction.
The Tri-City Herald reported that Michael David Little pleaded guilty in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree criminal trespass and was sentenced to 30 days in jail with 335 days suspended. His crime: wandering around inside a bank after hours and knocking over a few things.
Authorities are unsure as to how Little gained entry into the Bank of the West and he is no help as he claims no memory of his actions. Little did not have authority to be inside the bank, but aside from a few items knocked over, no crime was believed to have been committed inside the bank.
"While under the influence of substances greatly affecting my abilities to appreciate my actions, I unlawfully entered and remained in a building," Little wrote in his plea statement.
Prosecutors originally charged Little with second-degree burglary, but amended the charges in a plea deal once they reviewed a report from psychologist Trevor Travers with Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. The evaluation concluded that Little had little capacity to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his own defense.
Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long wrote in court documents: "This lack of capacity was believed to be based upon the defendant’s abuse of prescription drugs, including Valium and painkillers."
While Long recommended that charges be reduced based on that information, Little would still be held accountable for his actions.
