Semper Fi

I’ve always thought a career as a bank robber would be a darn cool thing. Romantic, lucrative and exciting as hell. Plus, you get to sleep late. Leave it to an FBI guy to dash my dreams. Here, former Vietnam combat fighter and federal agent Don Goulet spells out why going the route of a stick-up guy isn’t such a great career move. Thanks, Don. Now I have to stick with this lame reporter gig.

Stated in an abbreviated fashion, this statute defines bank robbery acts committed by one or more individuals. In part, it reads as follows: “whoever, by force, violence or intimidation, takes or attempts to take from the person or presence of another, anything of value belonging to any bank, credit union, or savings and loan association shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years or both.” Aggravating factors such as taking hostages, discharging a firearm, killing someone in the process of robbing a bank, will add to the prison sentence aspect.

Although the statute gives primary jurisdiction for investigating bank robberies to the FBI, they are almost always worked jointly with local law enforcement. Combining local and federal resources is often the key to solving these crimes.

During my tenure as an FBI Special Agent, I was assigned to investigate bank robbery matters in Muncie, Indiana, from December of 1982 until June of 1984, and in Bangor, Maine, from November of 1991 until February of 1998. Both FBI offices were responsible for enforcing various federal crimes committed over large territorial areas, including bank robberies.

Accordingly, in the Muncie, Indiana area, I was assigned ten bank robbery matters. During my tenure there, all of these bank robberies were solved, due mostly to the efforts of the Indiana State Police who were superb in these types of investigations.

One particular bank robbery comes to mind. There were several “black Muslims” terrifying a three-state area by committing frequent bank robberies to feed their daily drug habits. They would rob a bank, and then spend most of the loot buying cocaine and other drugs until the bank robbery money ran out. They would then plan and rob another bank in another state.

In the fall of 1983, they had robbed a bank in Anderson, Indiana, while being heavily armed. This was part of the Muncie FBI office territory. After the bank robbery, they went into hiding locally. The FBI assigned the matter to me. A highly respected deputy sheriff from Marion County, Indiana, Sam Hanna, developed information concerning the identity of these perpetrators (six in all) and approached me with this information. He had a witness in tow. The information provided proved to be accurate, resulting in the arrest of the six in neighboring Illinois. Sam, his witness, and I had broken the backs of six real mean dudes. My recollection is that all six received 40-year prison sentences, as they were prosecuted under more stringent state statutes.

In Bureau jargon, the bank robberies came under the category of “reactive crimes.” Simply put, a violent federal crime occurs and the FBI reacts by investigating the crime immediately.

On another occasion, in Muncie territory, a large black female from Indianapolis hired a taxicab to drive her from her home to Kokomo, Indiana, where she robbed a bank. She had asked the cab driver to wait while she went into the bank. At the time, she was wearing a large yellow raincoat. After the bank robbery, she re-entered the cab and was driven back home. I was assigned this reactive matter. By the time I was ready to leave the office to begin a round of interviews with the victim tellers and others, the Indiana State Police called and stated that they had the robber in custody. Through interview of the cab driver, they had obtained information concerning this lady. She was subsequently arrested. Case closed!!

While assigned to the Bangor, Maine FBI office, Special Agent Paul Palumbo and I received information that a bank had been robbed near Dexter, Maine, in the town of East Corinth. Guns had been displayed and the victim teller had been tied up with a telephone cord. Paul, a brand new agent, was assigned this matter. I was his training agent. He and I investigated the robbery in cooperation with the Maine State Police. Paul and I relentlessly pursued the two perpetrators who had committed this crime, working 24 hours a day straight, realizing that the trail would get cold as time passed. We were able to obtain a nickname for the driver by putting pressure on peer groups in the area, almost accusing them of being involved in the bank robbery. The Maine State Police, through their investigative technique, were able to identify a stolen truck that was used in the bank robbery. The nickname was that of an individual associated with the stolen truck. Both combined facts led to the arrest of two individuals for bank robbery. The Maine State Police performed superbly in this investigation. The results were two bank robbers arrested and convicted for violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113, bank robbery. Under federal statute, these two individuals were imprisoned for eight years at a federal penitentiary.

If you decide to rob a bank, realize that if you are caught, you will do heavy time. Think about it. As Baretta used to say, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”