Published: July 01, 2009 06:49 pm      

Bank robber pleads guilty

The man accused of robbing three banks and a discount store in and around San Marcos between Oct. 2008 and April of this year plead guilty to all charges Wednesday morning in Austin.

Christopher Ryan Smith, 27, of New Braunfels entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Pittman, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Smith was charged with the Oct. 28, 2008 robbery of the American Bank of Texas in Garden Ridge, the Dec. 12 2008 holdup of the American National Bank in Luling, the robbery of the American National Bank on Hunter Road Jan. 12 and the April 16 robbery at the Dollar General Store on Willow Springs Drive.

In addition to the robberies, he plead guilty to using a handgun during the San Marcos bank job and of violating the Hobbs Act which prohibits "interference with commerce by robbery," Acting U. S. Atty. John E. Murphy's office said.

In the Dollar General Store robbery, Smith walked in shortly after 7 a.m. wearing, according to store personnel, a black jacket, gloves and ski mask.

He fled in the direction of a wooded area as San Marcos and Texas State University police responded to the scene but was later captured following a high speed chase down IH-35 that ended in a Comal County neighborhood.

Smith was then taken into custody without incident. Property stolen from the store, as well as the gun used, were recovered in Smith’s vehicle, police said.

“This was a violent, armed individual,” SMPD Commander Terry Nichols said at the time. “It was not a guy running from a stop sign or a speeding ticket. This is somebody that held two people at gunpoint. We wanted to catch this person.”

Within days, investigators had linked Smith to the other robberies, during which he was similarly dressed.

Smith faces up to 20 years for each bank robbery charged, a mandatory seven years on the weapons charge and up to 20 years on the Hobbs Act charge, Sutton's office said.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 am.on Sept. 11 by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks.

The FBI assisted local law agencies in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lane was chief prosecutor.