Wenatchee man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for bank robbery

SPOKANE — A 43-year-old Wenatchee man with six prior federal bank robbery convictions was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13, to 12 years in federal prison for robbing a Cashmere Valley Bank branch in Wenatchee in September 2025.

U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Cameron Len Gaunt to 144 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington.

Gaunt robbed the bank Sept. 12, 2025, just over two months after his release from federal prison for previous bank robbery convictions. He had been released from Bureau of Prisons custody July 2, 2025, and was already in violation of his supervised release conditions when he committed the robbery.

According to court records, Gaunt entered the Wenatchee bank branch and handed a teller a note demanding money.

“$30K cash. No dye packs. No exploding bags.”

The teller initially gave Gaunt approximately $100 in bait bills. Gaunt demanded more money and made a comment indicating he was not willing to return to prison for such a small amount, according to federal prosecutors.

The teller then handed over the remaining cash in the drawer, totaling $2,462.

Wenatchee police officers responding to the robbery reviewed surveillance footage and identified Gaunt through his distinctive face and neck tattoos.

Four days later, on Sept. 16, Gaunt entered another local bank, where a teller recognized him from the earlier robbery and activated an alarm. Officers responded and arrested Gaunt without incident.

Federal prosecutors said Gaunt's criminal history spans more than two decades and includes convictions for forgery, burglary, drug offenses, firearm possession, conspiracy to pass counterfeit notes and six previous bank robberies in the Eastern and Western districts of Washington.

The September 2025 robbery marked his seventh federal bank robbery conviction.

At the time of the offense, Gaunt had also failed to report to a required residential reentry center following his previous federal prison sentence.

In imposing the sentence, Dimke cited Gaunt's repeated failure to comply with court orders, the danger posed by his history of bank robberies and the need to deter future criminal conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

“Bank robbery is a crime that terrorizes employees, disrupts communities, and endangers the public,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano said. “Gaunt has repeatedly demonstrated that he will not abide by the law or the conditions of supervision placed upon him. Today’s sentence reflects both the seriousness of his conduct and his long history of violent recidivism. This sentence also reflects the importance of our state partnerships, where, together, we work to remove dangerous offenders from our communities.”

FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington also addressed Gaunt's criminal history following the sentencing.

“Even after convictions for seven bank robberies, among a long list of other crimes spanning over two decades, Mr. Gaunt still has not learned his lesson,” Herrington said. “We hope this sentence sends a strong message to him, and to other career criminals: the FBI and our partners remain dedicated to combating violent crime in its many forms and to keeping our Washington communities safe.”

Chelan County Prosecutor Robert Sealby credited federal prosecutors for their work on the case.

“We’re grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for taking the lead in this case and for their strong partnership with our office,” Sealby said. “Their work secured a significant federal sentence that holds the defendant accountable and protects the people of Chelan County.”

The Wenatchee Police Department and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison L. Gregoire prosecuted it for the Eastern District of Washington.