A man accused of taking three people hostage during an armed robbery and carjacking made his first appearance in federal court on Wednesday, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre for the District of Nevada.
54-year-old William Etheridge was indicted on Aug. 9 with one count of bank robbery and one count of carjacking.
Etheridge is alleged to have entered a WestStar Credit Union at 110 East Harmon Avenue on July 25 with a semi-automatic pistol. He demanded money from four bank tellers, then ordered one of the employees to leave the bank with him.
After exiting the bank with approximately $18,120, he allegedly used "force and violence" to carjack a vehicle with two victims inside. He instructed them to drop him off at a Harley Davidson dealership so he could buy a getaway vehicle with his stolen money.
Law enforcement officials arrested Etheridge at the dealership. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the bank robbery charge, and 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the carjacking charge.
