‘Sad and sympathetic situation’ for man who allegedly gets arrested on purpose

A man who may be down on his luck was arrested for allegedly robbing a bank in Bellingham of $1 just so he could get a roof over his head.

On Monday, Richard Kenneth Gorton, 64, allegedly told a teller at Key Bank in Fairhaven that he was not armed and was not going to hurt anyone, but he was entitled to $1. The bank provided him with the dollar and he left the building and waited for police.

Gorton didn’t rob the bank because he needed the money, he did it so he had a place to stay, Whatcom County Chief Deputy Public Defender Starck Follis told KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz.

“In his way of thinking, he is left with no alternative than to commit some crime that will result in incarceration,” Follis told Rantz.

The alleged robbery wasn’t the first for Gorton. Follis represented him last summer for another bank robbery case. The 64-year-old was about to be evicted from public assisted housing and felt he had no other options, Follis said on the show.

“[He] thought the Department of Corrections was as good as anything,” he said.

Though there were efforts made to help Gorton find some stability, those efforts fell short. Follis said the combination of a “dire” living situation and possible mental health issues led Gorton to allegedly commit another robbery.

Follis has been working defense for about 30 years – Gorton’s situation is the first or second he has come across.

“It’s really kind of a sad and sympathetic situation,” Follis said. “He looks very much the feeble old man that wouldn’t strike fear into most people.”