The man who allegedly robbed the U.S. Bank in Winnemucca on Oct. 13 is facing new charges stemming from the same incident. Norman Alston, 49, appeared in Union Township Justice Court on Thursday, Nov. 20, on a charge of grand larceny, and was represented by public defender Matthew Stermitz.
There was a possibility of the case going to a federal court, but the assistant U.S. attorney in Reno did not indict Alston.
Alston was originally charged with robbery with a deadly weapon and that case was bound over to district court on Oct. 29.
Assistant District Attorney Anthony Gordon said this second charge represents a different element of Alston's alleged crime, which is the taking of the money from the bank.
Alston waived his right to a preliminary hearing and his case was bound over to district court.
Stermitz filed a motion to dismiss the case because the charges arise from the same incident and two separate cases will waste the court's time.
According to witnesses, Alston entered the bank in the afternoon of Oct. 13, approached the tellers and demanded money. He said he had a gun, but did not display it. He then left the bank with about $1,000, including $150 in bait money.
Alston was arrested later that same afternoon by detectives from the TRIDENT Narcotics Taskforce, who found Alston sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot of the Winnemucca City Hall. He is being held at the Humboldt County Detention Center. No court dates have been set for Alston.[[In-content Ad]]
