Brian Scott Terry, who robbed a Calhoun credit union, said the two years he has spent awaiting sentencing for a string of 2008 bank robberies has changed him and left him a better person.

“I now believe this has been the best thing that ever happened to me. When I hit rock bottom I looked up,” Terry said.

The 33-year-old Chatsworth man pleaded guilty in 2009 to robbing a Calhoun credit union and banks in Tennessee, Chatsworth and Fort Oglethorpe. Terry said he robbed the banks to finance his drug addiction.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Jones, Terry walked into these banks and handed the tellers notes stating he had a gun.

“He made threats to teller who go to their jobs to do an honest days work. They went to work in peace and go home in peace and he denied them that right,” Jones said.

Terry was sentenced to six years in prison and nine years supervised released. During his sentencing Terry expressed his apologies to the people he had hurt.

“I’ve wasted so many opportunities. I have no excuses for my many mistakes. I can only blame myself,” Terry said.

The defendant received credit for two years he had served in jail while awaiting his sentencing and he was ordered to undergo drug and psychiatric treatment while in prison.