CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded guilty to robbing a Chesapeake bank.
Preston Walcker admitted committing the May robbery at Old Point National Bank. He entered his plea at a hearing Thursday.
The Virginian-Pilot reports Walcker, 44, still faces trials for three other robberies in Virginia Beach and Hanover County.
Walcker’s legal trouble began years ago, when he was still in Snohomish County. Hired as a deputy in 1991, he advanced in the job to become a major crimes detective. Walcker injured his back while on duty and began struggling with drug addiction. He illegally tried to obtain prescription pain medication and resigned from the sheriff’s office in August 2002. He pleaded guilty to drug charges the following year and served 240 hours of community service.
A father of two, Walcker seemingly had turned a corner in recent years.
He worked as an alcohol counselor for the Salvation Army in Seattle from 2008 to 2009 before relocating to the East Coast. Something went wrong after his move, though.
His wife, a Lynnwood resident, began divorce proceedings against him in March. A month later, the bank robberies began.
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