COEUR d'ALENE — A 39-year-old man was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for robbing the U.S. Bank in downtown Coeur d'Alene.

Robert Earl Mackey Jr. pleaded guilty to two felony charges — grand theft and burglary — as part of deal with the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office stipulating he will be eligible for parole after one year in prison. Kootenai County District Court Judge Cynthia Meyer, according to court records, called the March 28 robbery concerning, particularly because it appeared "to be one that was very carefully planned and implemented."

"It is the kind of crime that society doesn't tolerate," Meyer said, according to court documents. "You have earned prison time. Even though your history is primarily misdemeanor, it is lengthy. This is a crime that does need protection of society, deterrence, and punishment."

During his closing arguments at the sentencing hearing, Kootenai County Prosecutor Stanley Mortensen said Mackey went into U.S. Bank on the day of the robbery wearing a disguise to conceal his identity. Mackey, according to Mortensen, then approached a bank teller and handed her a note.

The teller, Mortensen said, hit an alarm before handing Mackey $400. Mortensen added the amount wasn't enough for Mackey, who then demanded and received more money before fleeing the scene on foot.

"The fact that he was dressed head to toe means he planned this," Mortensen said, according to court records. "This is criminal thinking. Mr. Mackey did not use a weapon, but he instilled fear in another person and walked away with money that wasn't his."

Mackey stole $2,314 from the bank. He was later identified in Spokane Valley by an off-duty Coeur d'Alene Police Department officer and arrested by an officer with the Spokane Valley Police Department.

"I beg for your mercy," Mackey said to Meyer during his sentencing hearing, according to court documents. "I am not a hardened criminal. Doing time is going to be hard for me. I ask you to allow me to do some of the programming they offer."