Court documents say bank robbery charges against Cody Lee Pierce, age 32, of Lynden, were dismissed in Whatcom County Superior Court on January 31st. Pierce was suspected of robbing the Washington Federal Ferndale branch at 3rd Avenue and Main Street on September 22, 2017.
According to the signed order of dismissal filed with the court prosecutors dismissed the case against Pierce due to insufficient evidence. The dismissal was “without prejudice” meaning charges could be brought again at a future date
Pierce was also appearing in another case where he was charged with violating the terms of a community custody sentence. Pierce had been found guilty of 3rd degree assault, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and possession of heroin in September 2016. But he failed to report to the Department of Corrections to begin serving the 19-month community custody sentence and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Pierce pled guilty to the charge of escape from community custody on the same day as the dismissal of the bank robbery charges and was sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and ordered to pay $500 to a victims fund as well as $200 in court costs.
In January of 2018, Ferndale Police Lieutenant Matt Huffman said officers from other law enforcement agencies told Ferndale Police detectives that their suspect looked like Pierce and he was in Whatcom County Jail pending other charges. Photographic line-ups were presented to 3 bank employees and he was pointed out by all 3. Ferndale detectives interviewed him and he denied any involvement in the bank robbery. “Based on the photographic line-up, we did have probable cause for the arrest, and that was served while he was already in custody,” Huffman said in an email.
It was determined $54 was taken during the robbery according to court documents.