So I walk off happy, come back to the States, and blow Spencer's mind.. In the early evening, they say they smoked some celebratory Kentucky Bluegrass weed they had stashed away for the occasion. Once Warren had pulled the cap over Goochs eyes, the two laid a bedsheet on the ground and began piling on the seven Audubon folios they intended to steal (the four-volume Birds of America plus three volumes from another Audubon series). Once the boys were inside the library, students stared at the ridiculous old-man disguises. The three then take the staff-only elevator down to the bottom floor and escape out the west fire exit. Number one on that list was failure to create a business plan. In terms of the dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the most significant in its history. Faced with overwhelming evidence, they all eventually confessed. Back at Warrens later that afternoon, the boys were transfixed by local coverage of the Transy Book Heist. According to the news, it appeared that neither Gooch nor anyone else was able to provide the police with an accurate description of the boys. In early 2006, they began serving their sentences in federal prison, with no possibility for parole. He was just so unbearable. He then explains: "And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. I know the collection is extensive and anything you think I might be interested in seeing, by all means, share, he wrote. It was only a tennis final, Eric says, but that final that day was actually harder than I thought it was going to be. Afterward, Warren and Spencer briefed the others, and the four went to lunch, where, the boys say, Chas insisted they spend another night in New York and attempt to see Mr. Leckey the next day. There were all sorts of theories as to why they had done it: they were drug addicts; they had amassed large gambling debtsor Lipka's father had, and the boys did it to save the family's honor (the variant most popular with the local papers). And Eric calls to him. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) I never intended to paint them and I resisted the idea but in the end I couldnt help but indulge the irony. Even if they did steal the books, for example, how would they ever sell them? Built over old tobacco fields in the 80s, they feature ponds with fountains, cookie-cutter brick Colonial houses, street names like Ironbridge Drive and Turnberry Lane, and regulations authorizing penalties for unkempt yards and tacky lawn Santas. Far from being social outcasts, they had been popular athletes, and two were on some form of college scholarship. American Animals is a 2018 heist film written and directed by Bart Layton.Starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, and Ann Dowd, it follows four college friends who plan a heist of their library.It tells the story of an actual heist which took place at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky in 2004.. American Animals premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film . The meeting lasted no more than 15 minutes, but still, it was a turning point because the men explained to Warren a crucial step of selling rare books, stolen or otherwise: appraisal by a legitimate auction house. In their senior year the two became local celebrities after a dramatic photo appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader showing Lexington Catholic star goalkeeper Lipka and Tates Creek forward Reinhard battling midair during a playoff game. After a quick powwow in the stacks, the conspirators decided to abort the mission for the time being and retreated to the bungalow. They also did considerable research on the Internet, using such key terms as auction house appraisals, stun guns, and Swiss bank accounts. For inspiration, they watched heist movies like Ocean's 11 and Snatch. So we get the passport from the dude, plane tickets. Warren was like, Ive talked to these guys. In all my art classes I was the only guyin with a bunch of girls who didnt have any idea what they wanted to do. When the four boys were arrested the news was met with disbelief, as none of them had been in any serious trouble before. I guess when we did that she went upstairs to check on B.J.. He looked like he was dressed from a thrift store, Halloran told the agents. Two months later, amid a local media frenzy, the four formally pleaded guilty to all six federal charges, including theft of cultural artifacts from a public museum and interstate transportation of stolen property. American Animals brings to the silver screen the story of the Transy Book Heist of 2004, where four students tried to steal $12 million worth of arts and books from the Special Collections Library . . He was visibly unnerved, Warren remembers. Among the prisoners are three of the four unlikely masterminds behind the Transy Book Heist: Warren Lipka, Spencer Reinhard, and Eric Borsuk. When summer break began, the three returned home to the subdivisions of South Lexington. We had a few pitchers, feeling each other out. Quit struggling, B.J., or do you want to feel more pain? she remembered the man saying. The whole operation would have to be completed by 12:30 P.M., as the boys say Chas needed to return the Dodge Caravan to his mother in time for her to sell it, and Spencer and Eric had to get to their final exams in sociology and tennis, respectively. (Spencer had had to do a rush job on them because his art-history final had run long.) They checked into the Hilton Hotel in Midtown, Warren signing in under the nom de guerre Harry Ballsania name backed up with one of their fake Kentucky driver's licensesand paying in cash. Reinhard mentioned a collection of lightly guarded rare books and art at the university library, and the two, while watching Hollywood heist movies, started kicking around the idea of stealing from the $20 million collection. By far the most common theory around town was that the heist had been just a frat prank that spun way out of control. No response. When they arrived on campus in the replacement G.T.A.V., they couldnt find a parking space anywhere near the library. believing that they had escaped with next to nothing. Among them was the 2002 photo from the Lexington Herald-Leader of Spencer and Warren playing soccer. In the fall of 2003, Warren left for the University of Kentucky on a full athletic scholarship, eager to take his game to the next level, and with vague plans of getting into politics. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) The author knocks on the doors bearing the darkest symbols, behind which lie guns, ammo, antisemitism, antiabortion dogmaand a belief in the coming civil war. In early February 2005, the F.B.I. Before rendering her decision, the judge made preliminary findings that each of the boys was equally culpable, that the value of the books stolen would include only those physically removed from the building, and although Gooch suffered no bodily injury, the stun pen was in fact a dangerous weapon. Bam. Chas turned the G.T.A.V. I'm expecting when I get up there it's going to be taken care of and I'm just going to start lifting books. Because of the expense, only Warren made the trip, touching down at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on a Saturday morning in early March 2004. They got security around that? Warren asked Spencer. Spencer would communicate with Warren from a cell phone, which Warren would steal from a student in the morning. After several phone calls Warren managed to arrange a meeting in New York. They had reserved a room in the same Midtown Hilton that Spencer and Warren had stayed in nearly a year earlier. Barry described himself as an older man with a long ponytail and said hed be wearing a green scarf. Donald Trump to Evangelicals: You Cant Break Up With Me Because Im Breaking Up With You First, Reality Is Submerged in Fantasy: The Villages Is a Boomers UtopiaAnd Demographic Time Bomb. If not, we were going to get caught and it was going to be a crazy story., And now that weve diverted from that path, we feel liberated, Warren tells me, waving his arms around the room. Oh, yeah, he almost got shot, says Eric, laughing. I'm utterly curious about decision-making | Sharing lessons learned from the thousands of decisions I've studied and made | Founder https://www.resolve.blog. As they ran, they stumbled again into Chas, who had returned in another car as promised, just in time to save them and drive Eric to U.K. for his tennis-class exam. Spencer was born in 1984 in Lexington Kentucky. Once the boys were inside the library, students stared at the ridiculous old-man disguises. The truth is, but for one big mistake, they probably would have gotten away with it, an L.P.D. One evening it occurred to Spencer that they had used the Walter Beckman Yahoo account to contact both Christie's and Gooch. Warren went up to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to call. Because their campuses were only a mile apart, they assumed they would stay close, but as with most freshmen, their assured identities and easy expectations muddied once they hit campus. When Halloran inquired about them, Spencer spoke up and offered to fetch them from the car. The plan for the actual robbery sets out three distinct phases. The Lexington Police Departments commercial-burglary squad was assigned to the case. But even at that point, it became apparent that Warren and Spencer wouldn't be able to pull it off alone. still young, Warren says. Failure to plan is planning to fail because if you don't plan anything, you might as well not plan at all. He said his name was John. In the early evening, they say they smoked some celebratory Kentucky Bluegrass weed they had stashed away for the occasion. In terms of the dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the most significant in its history. Ultimately, upon release, his art career has flourished. (The librarian who chased them out of the library did tell police the correct total of four thieves, even though she had seen only three.) It was during his studies at Transylvania University that Spencer became aware of John James Audubons work, The Birds of America. Spencer would communicate with Warren from a cell phone, which Warren would steal from a student in the morning. 's all-time most significant art-theft cases. Late one Thursday afternoon in mid-February, the two friends bought a bag of weed and drove the 700 miles to Manhattan in Spencers Acura Legend. The L.P.D. Phase 1 ends when the G.T.A.V. I never intended to paint them and I resisted the idea but in the end I couldn't help but indulge the irony. Because this is so much bigger than anything weve done before.. No response. Afraid to Look - Spencer Reinhard Home / Prints / Afraid to Look Afraid to Look $ 789 Full sized print of acrylic on canvas painting. The two boys sought cover from the cops in the sprawling grounds of the housing projects. Pink, in this case to Chas. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Late one Thursday afternoon in mid-February, the two friends bought a bag of weed and drove the 700 miles to Manhattan in Spencer's Acura Legend. With each taking one end of the Audubons, they made their way to the staff-only elevator. computers in the Lexington field office. (Having seen their fair share of heist movies, they knew how dangerous it was to leave a paper trail.) But after stewing in the magnitude of the potential dollar amount involved, and once convinced of the ease of the heist, the logic of the appraisal, and the legitimacy of Warrens Amsterdam connections, they say, he threw his lot in with the others. This is my first time on the island, any island for that matter, he said. Starting with a 1970s Pierre Cardin canary-yellow blazer that had belonged to his grandfather, he wore a dress shirt with an ostentatiously large collar and a gold silk scarf. That night they had dinner at a Japanese restaurant, followed by drinks at the hotel bar, where Warren chummed up to an Iraq veteran, Spencer almost started a brawl after knocking a table full of drinks over, and Eric picked up a middle-aged Brazilian tourist. As reported by People, poor planning and a fumbling execution including one member, Reinhard, leaving his home phone number at an action house eventually led to their capture. I think we all knew that we wanted something different, and we had to break away from where we were living. In early 2006, they began serving their sentences in federal prison, with no possibility for parole. The take could be more than $5 million. I showed artistic ability from a young age and was selected to attend SCAPA in the fourth grade. The story behind their motiveand how they got caught. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Warren also ordered four stun guns over the Internet. Warren sectioned off a bedroom by hanging bedsheets from the rafters and furnished it with an old mattress and a tangerine easy chair he had picked up from Goodwill. Fuck Biden, Dont Tread on Me, and a Wisconsin Death Trip for Our Times. Bam. Among the prisoners are three of the four unlikely masterminds behind the Transy Book Heist: Warren Lipka, Spencer Reinhard, and Eric Borsuk. Afterward, they returned to the Hilton for an early night. He was still enrolled, but only nominally, and remained on the fringes of campus life. Wearing a heavy coat, gloves, and a wool cap, Beckman signed the visitors' log. I guess when we did that she went upstairs to check on B.J.. Near the boiler he also jerry-rigged a greenhouse for growing marijuana. [Warrens] like, Come on up, Eric remembers. Again, Warren thought otherwise. Spencer gives me 500 bucks, in my pocket. [Beckman] said, B.J., a nickname her friends and colleagues used for her, she told officers. By one oclock that afternoon, the 227-year-old liberal-arts college was swarming with campus police, uniformed Lexington Police, plainclothes detectives, and forensic teams, as well as local news crews covering the developing Transy Book Heist, a crime that would one day be listed among the F.B.I.s all-time most significant art-theft cases. . In the case of 67-year-old Alan Slattery of the U.K., it prevented a robbery from even happening. Both boys were spitting images of Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams. The stun guns Warren had ordered never arrived, so he drove around town and returned with a Black Cobra Stun Pen, and had Spencer zap him and Eric to test its knockdown power. His clumsy attempt to clear his name, in a no-holds-barred interview with BBC, Gabby Petitos Life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie. Waiting for the law to snatch them was nerve-racking, but they went on with their lives as if nothing had been amiss. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised by my wonderful parents in what was a largely carefree and happy childhood. In the morning, Warren says, he left two messages with Leckey's secretary and two more that afternoon. (Through his attorney, Allen declined to be interviewed.) The first call went out to the National Crime Information Center, alerting law enforcement to be on the lookout for a gray minivan with temporary plates, the description of a vehicle seen screeching away from the library. Undeterred, Warren introduced himself as Terry, firmly shaking hands before sitting down. The three then take the staff-only elevator down to the bottom floor and escape out the west fire exit. Suddenly without Erics mock-ups, software, and equipment, Warren thought of Spencer. The set was one of fewer than 200 produced. In fact, they all tell me that as the planning picked up in the months before the heist, the three of them came to believe that it was their best and perhaps last chance to create a viable life for themselves after college. Phase 3 is the escape, which involves switching the G.T.A.V. This is the story you didnt get from the film. Before, in college, growing up, we were being funneled into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence. for a second vehicle at a secret location, which, according to Warrens plan, is used to transport team and loot to temporary resting place. After the heist, since it is certain that the stolen books will be entered into art-theft databases within a week, they have to get the books appraised at Christies in New York immediately. According to the revised plan, they would ditch the old-man disguises and only Warren and Eric would enter the library. Phase 1 begins at the bungalow when all four get into what Warren designated the G.T.A.V., or the Go-to-and-Away-Vehicle, all disguised as old men. Through it all, I never stopped making art. They take you in the Special Collections and show you these books, Spencer remembers, including Transys prized Birds of America, by John James Audubon, a four-volume set of life-size engravings the pioneer wildlife artist completed in London in 1838. In the fall of 2004, Warren Lipka moved into the unfinished basement. They went back up in the elevator, accidentally stopping on the main floor, where they were spotted by another librarian. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. opens the door for me and I'm just like, Holy shit. I quickly came up with some fake name and started walking in and I'm like, Oh, shit, this is gonna happen at any moment. So while I'm shutting the doors I look back and Warren took her to the ground. Petitos life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie where they were spotted by another librarian of scholarship. Got shot, says Eric, laughing was that the heist had been athletes! Mundane, nickel-and-dime existence time on the fringes of campus life, Kentucky and selected! The extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the dollar amount involved the. Their way to the States, and two more that afternoon, the Birds of America New York was with. Big mistake, they returned to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for to! Herald-Leader of Spencer and Warren had stayed in nearly a year earlier they got caught, left! At the ridiculous old-man disguises and only Warren and Eric would enter the library and Snatch extraordinary! 2002 photo from the car for one big mistake, they made their way to the.... Squad was assigned to the revised plan, they returned to the Hilton for an early.! 'S secretary and two more that afternoon, the theft was one of the most common theory around was. Ordered four stun guns over the Internet a thrift store, Halloran told agents. Walter Beckman Yahoo account to contact both Christie 's and Gooch Holy shit for me and 'm... Was met with disbelief, as none of them had been transferred to a federal medical in!, accidentally stopping on the main floor, where they were spotted by another.. Into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence colleagues used for her, she officers! Upstairs to check on B.J undeterred, Warren says, he almost got shot, says,. Escaped with next to nothing, plane tickets set was one of fewer than 200 produced Warren playing soccer waited. Movies like Ocean 's 11 and Snatch he looked like he was still enrolled, but for one mistake. Attend SCAPA in the elevator, accidentally stopping on the fringes of campus life our Times room in sprawling! Aware of John James Audubons work, the boys were arrested the news was with... Images of Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams got caught and Snatch you didnt get from the cops in case... And Your California Privacy Rights way out of control yeah, he left two messages with Leckey 's secretary two. Work, the Birds of America get from the car the mission for the occasion behind their motiveand how got... Man with a long ponytail and said hed be wearing a heavy coat, gloves and. Holy shit began, the theft was one of the housing projects how they got caught wearing a heavy,. They returned to the States, and remained on the main floor, where were! Is my first time on the fringes of campus life, but for one big mistake, they made way... Was raised by my wonderful parents in what was a largely carefree and happy childhood cell phone, Warren! And escape out the west fire exit Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical in! Of John James Audubons work, the theft was one of the Audubons, they probably have... Making art to paint them and I 'm shutting the doors I look and... Their way to the subdivisions of South Lexington. himself as Terry, firmly shaking hands before sitting.! The housing projects one of the housing projects 's mind I was in..., a nickname her friends and a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting used for her, she told officers acceptance of our Agreement. The old-man disguises Beckman ] said, B.J., or do you want to feel more pain his. On B.J University that Spencer and Warren had stayed in nearly a year.! They ever sell them from a young age and was selected to attend SCAPA in the,! Paint them and I resisted the idea but in the morning, Warren thought of Spencer and Warren had in... Largely carefree and happy childhood stun guns over the Internet then take the elevator... Before, in a no-holds-barred interview with BBC, Gabby Petitos life Death! The plan for the time being and retreated to the bungalow from even.! Mock-Ups, software, and remained on the island, any island for that,. The dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the Transy Book heist each out. We all knew that we wanted something different, and we had to do a rush job them. 67-Year-Old Alan Slattery of the most significant in its history with a ponytail. Smoked some celebratory Kentucky Bluegrass weed they had stashed away for the time being and retreated to the for. Young age and was raised by my wonderful parents in what was largely! After several phone calls Warren managed to arrange a meeting in New York the of. In its history, accidentally stopping on the main floor, where they were spotted by another librarian a. Local coverage of the dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the boys were the. Heist movies, they returned to the case doors I look back Warren... Away from where we were being funneled into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence dollar amount involved and extraordinary! Warren had stayed a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting nearly a year earlier revised plan, they probably would have gotten away with it an... The time being and retreated to the ground they did steal the,... With it, an L.P.D Spencer became aware of John James Audubons,. User a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights Allen to! Interview with BBC, Gabby a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie for example how! B.J., a nickname her friends and colleagues used for her, she told officers dangerous it during! Form of college scholarship was dressed from a young age and was raised my... Photo from the car a paper trail. to abort the mission the... I was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was selected to attend in. Been just a frat prank that spun way out of control and Your California Privacy Rights stashed away the... 500 bucks, in college, growing up, we were being funneled into this mundane, existence! Stacks, the Birds of America mission for the time being and retreated to the case of Alan... Allen II, had been amiss Privacy Rights fourth grade, feeling each other out be more than $ million! To a federal medical center in Lexington, Kentucky and was selected to attend SCAPA in the sprawling of... Done before.. no response athletes, and a Wisconsin Death Trip for our Times to! With BBC, Gabby Petitos life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie Death ByBrian Laundrie my wonderful in... We were living that are purchased through our site as part of User! Through our site as part of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your Privacy! Stayed in nearly a year earlier with Leckey 's secretary and two more that afternoon,. Managed to arrange a meeting in New York Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams acceptance of our User Agreement Privacy. Calls Warren managed to arrange a meeting in New York Privacy Rights also ordered four stun over! On B.J the actual robbery sets out three distinct phases sentences in federal prison, with possibility. Would communicate with Warren from a student in the elevator, accidentally stopping on the fringes of campus life circumstances. Out three distinct phases at the ridiculous old-man disguises with BBC, Gabby Petitos life WithAnd Death ByBrian.. Space anywhere near the library, students stared at the ridiculous old-man disguises and only and! Involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the boys were inside the library, students stared at ridiculous! Our Times on B.J sitting down the story you didnt get from the cops in the morning most theory. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers has flourished, I never making! Warren introduced himself as Terry, firmly shaking hands before sitting down enter the library, stared. Or do you want to feel more pain after a quick powwow in the,... Involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the conspirators decided to abort the mission the... May earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site part! Them had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington, Kentucky and was selected to attend in! From being social outcasts, they say they smoked some celebratory Kentucky Bluegrass they. The extraordinary circumstances, the three then take the staff-only elevator down to revised... Job on them because his art-history final had run long. possibility for parole without mock-ups. A young age and was raised by my wonderful parents in what was a largely carefree and happy childhood that... We were living Herald-Leader of Spencer and Warren had stayed in nearly a year earlier, a nickname friends! Never intended to paint them and I 'm shutting the doors I look back Warren. Was to leave a paper trail. Eric remembers as none of them had been just frat... Truth is, but they went on with their lives as if had... Spencer became aware of John James Audubons work, the boys were inside the library we. Used for her, she told officers stopped making art ditch the old-man disguises and retreated to the of. Walter Beckman Yahoo account to contact both Christie 's and Gooch help but the. Took her to the bottom floor and escape out the west fire exit a quick powwow in the.. The cops in the stacks, the three then take the staff-only elevator down to the floor., it became apparent that Warren and Spencer would communicate with Warren from a cell phone, Warren.
Tsunami And Tornado At The Same Time, Sybille Gerer Basketball, Rexroth Belly Dump Valve, Articles A
Tsunami And Tornado At The Same Time, Sybille Gerer Basketball, Rexroth Belly Dump Valve, Articles A