Sheldon J. Sperling, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced Thursday that Larry Eugene Walden, 57, of Stigler pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery, including the robbery at National Bank of Sallisaw on April 30.

Sperling said charges resulted from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department, the McAlester Police Department, the Fort Smith Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Walden was indicted in August.

The Indictment alleged that on three separate occasions, Walden robbed three different banks in Oklahoma.  On March 27 the defendant robbed Bancfirst in McAlester of about $3,987; on April 20 he robbed the Arvest Bank in Poteau of about $2,075.50; and on April 30 Walden robbed National Bank of Sallisaw of $2,671.71.

Walden was arrested June 15 by Fort Smith Police officers.  Clothing, bank bags, red dye stained money and a jacket the defendant wore during the Sallisaw bank robbery were recovered at the time of his arrest.

Judge Steven P. Shreder in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee accepted the defendant’s guilty plea and ordered the completion of a presentence report.  Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion.  The defendant remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service.

The statutory range of punishment is up to 20 years imprisonment and/or up to $250,000 in fines.  A preliminary calculation of the sentencing guidelines projects an advisory sentencing range of 57-71 months imprisonment, Sperling sai

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.