COEUR d'ALENE - A Post Falls man was sentenced Monday in Kootenai County District Court to serve 10 years in prison for robbing a Bank of America branch in his home town.

Raymond Alderton, 56, was arrested for the crime in May by Post Falls police officers, due in large part to tips received by the department on its Facebook page.

Post Falls police received a call on the morning of May 14 stating Bank of America, located at 804 N. Henry St., had been robbed by a man wearing sunglasses and a baby-blue hoodie. Alderton allegedly pointed a pistol at staff before fleeing on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police arrested Alderton later in the afternoon and said the man purchased a plane ticket to California after robbing the bank.

In exchange for Alderton admitting to the bank robbery, the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office dropped the felony aggravated assault charge stemming from pointing a gun at bank employees.

According to Eileen McGovern, the attorney who prosecuted the case, Alderton's defense attorney argued for probation during the sentencing, citing the man's mental health issues.

However, when giving his sentence, McGovern said Judge Lansing Haynes took into account the facts that Alderton altered his appearance, purchased a gun and used rubber stoppers to hold the bank doors open prior to committing the crime.

"He really put some pre-meditation into the act," McGovern said. "Which suggests clear thinking and that this wasn't an impromptu psychotic episode."

Alderton will be eligible for parole in five years.