Woman to plead in bank robbery

A Carson City woman waived her preliminary hearing Tuesday and is expected to plead guilty in District Court next month to the armed robbery of Nevada State Bank on Oct. 11.

Rachel Darlene Barrett, 30, signed a plea agreement before Judge John Tatro stating that she intends to plead guilty to charges of felony burglary and felony robbery of a victim over 60, the bank teller. In exchange for the guilty plea, an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon was not sought.

According to investigators, Barrett - wearing no makeup, torn jeans and a camouflage baseball cap - entered the South Carson Street bank just after 9 a.m., ordered a teller to put her hands up and indicated she had a weapon in her waistband.

Barrett then allegedly slipped the teller a note that read in part, "Any mistakes I'll start shooting."

After receiving money, Barrett ran from the bank to her vehicle parked nearby, authorities said. Sheriff Ken Furlong said that when Barrett saw a witness watching her get into her vehicle, she ran off. Police checked the license plates and traced them to Barrett, who lived in a nearby apartment complex.

As officers were searching the neighborhood in search of the bank robber, they happened upon Barrett's husband at Ross Gold Park. He said in an interview with the Nevada Appeal that he told investigators he saw a person matching the robber's description get into a pickup truck and leave east on Snyder.

But when officers went to Barrett's apartment, they could see her through the window. After about an hour, officers used a key provided by Barrett's husband, and the freshly showered Barrett was arrested without incident.

Inside the apartment, said Furlong, investigators recovered the stolen cash, a portion of a demand note and a pellet gun believed to have been used in the robbery.

Barrett faces up to 10 years in prison on the burglary charge and up to 15 on the robbery charge. The elder enhancement tacks on between one and 15 years to the sentence.

Assistant District Attorney Gerald Gardner said he will ask for prison time but wouldn't object to any burglary and robbery sentences running concurrently. The enhancement must be consecutive.