Felon pleads guilty to robbing 4 banks

A plea agreement with Wallace Silva Jr. drops two additional robbery charges

A serial bank robber pleaded guilty yesterday to robbing four Honolulu banks in August, just days after being released from prison, serving time for a previous robbery spree.

Wallace J. Silva Jr.: He faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count or robbery

Wallace J. Silva Jr., 52, had initially been charged with robbing six banks between Aug. 8 and 20 but pleaded guilty to only four robberies as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors. Silva faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of robbery.

Before the bank robberies, Silva had been serving time at a federal penitentiary in Lompoc, Calif., for a 1997 robbery spree that included three banks and a hotel, as well as an attempted robbery at Sears Ala Moana. Silva was placed on supervised release Aug. 4 and put on a plane to return to Hawaii the next day.

Federal public defender Peter Wolff said other than an ex-girlfriend, Silva had no contacts when he got back home.

"A halfway house also refused to take him in ... which is their right to do so," Wolff said. "Not that there's a good reason for robbing banks."

Prosecutors said Silva robbed six banks within 12 days, including the Kapahulu branch of Bank of Hawaii on Aug. 8, the Waikiki branch of First Hawaiian Bank on Aug. 10, the Makiki branch of Central Pacific Bank on Keeaumoku Street on Aug. 12, the American Savings Bank on Seaside Avenue on Aug. 15, another American Savings Bank in Liliha on Aug. 19 and a Chinatown branch of Bank of Hawaii on Aug. 20.

As part of the plea agreement, Silva pleaded guilty to all but the Aug. 8 and 19 robberies.

Silva is scheduled for sentencing May 8.