The man convicted of five bank robberies, including the United Bank on Berryville Avenue in Winchester, was sentenced to six life terms in prison and ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution.

James Whittlesey, 53, pleaded guilty to the robberies, two gun charges and attempted escape.

Whittlesey's crime spree spanned the Northeast with crimes in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Vermont.

The robberies all happened between July 19, 2011 and October 14, 2011.

Following the robbery in Winchester last October, Whittlesey had a run-in with police and fired several shots at an officer before leaving the scene.

After two months on the run, authorities arrested Whittlesey in Montreal, Canada in December 2011. He was deported back to the United States. That's when he briefly escaped police custody in Vermont, only to be quickly caught.