Bank Teller Who Walked Away With A Ton Of Cash Taunts FBI With Letter
Putting An End To It
Mason Longman fiddled with the note in his hand. He was searching for something new, but it seemed that no new revelations had appeared yet. He had no other option but to consider the truth, this really was him.
For two generations, he had managed to dodge law enforcement officials. But now he had popped up again like a sadistic shadow. Mason was determined to make sure this would end right now.
Times Have Changed
Pinterest – Catherine Tommasino
The world has changed a lot in the last 50 years. Back in the day, bank security wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as it is in the digital age.
Bank security was so different that in 1969, a Cleveland bank teller was able to rob a bank and leave with almost a quarter-million dollars… In cash.
Temptation
KJZZ
In today’s economy, the quarter-million dollars amount to two million dollars. Given how strict security measures are today, it’s hard to imagine that such a brazen crime could ever occur.
Peter Johnson realized that he could get away with such a crime, which created a temptation that he just couldn’t resist. But the amount of money that he managed to steal isn’t even the craziest part of the story!
Peter Johnson
Goad News
At just 20-years old, Peter Johnson managed to singlehandedly pull off the biggest bank heist in all of American history. What he managed to do left people bewildered for decades.
The most surprising part of this story is that Peter was a model citizen. He was a normal, upstanding young man. No one that knew him ever saw this coming. But how did he actually do it?
High Ambitions
Medium
Peter had high ambitions, but he was a college dropout. The problem was that he needed to build a stellar reputation to meet these ambitions. But Peter was attractive and magnetic. He won every single person over.
He was so charming that he managed to get a job as a teller at one of the biggest banks in all of Cleveland.
Well-Liked And Trusted
Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast
He had quite the reputation at the bank. Everyone loved him, no one ever seemed to have anything bad to day about Peter. He was well liked by all of them. He had an all-American persona and he worked hard every single day.
Everyone trusted him so much that, on the day he robbed the bank, he simply walked out with all of the money on him.
Warning Signs
Eyeshow
Looking back at it, there were a few warning signs. He would “joke” and tell everyone that if he wanted to rob the bank, he could and no one would suspect him.
He also loved the infamous bad guy’s crime movies. But it turned out that Johnson’s bravado was even more daring than his on-screen alter egos.
He Vanished
PressReader
The day it all happened started off normal. Peter was working as usual. But by the time his shift was over, he removed the money from the vault and casually walked out of the bank. After that, he simply vanished.
Law enforcement agencies tried to hunt him down for ages. But for one of these agents, the search for John would have some personal consequences.
Still Investigating
The Independent
Jackson Longman worked as an FBI agent, and it was his duty to find Peter. But it seemed that Peter was always one step ahead. It seemed impossible to catch him. He was like a ghost with sightings of him all around the States.
Years went by and Peter was never found. Jackson thought of the case every single day, he had become obsessed with finding Peter. He was still investigating it long after his retirement
Taunting Letter
Cleveland.com
52 years had passed before Peter finally popped up again. He was well aware that Longman was still looking for him, so he decided to send a taunting letter to the FBI.
He mocked them for not being able to find him. But Jacksin Longman passed away shortly after the letter was sent. He never completed his life’s mission of catching Peter, but someone close to him was about to.
The Other Longman
9News
As Jackson’s career began to wind down, his son, Mason Longman, graduated as an agent. Mason was determined to see out his father’s work.
When the taunting letter was received, Mason took it personally. He studied the letter over and over and noticed something odd. He immediately knew that he had cracked the case.
The Big Break
The Independent
Noticing the handwriting on the letter, Mason poured over his dad’s old notes. Years back, there had been a “sighting” of Johnson. Authorities learned that the suspect was a different man.
After seeing a handwritten letter among the evidence files, suddenly, it hit him. The “other man” was Johnson. He had simply changed his name.
He Was His Own Downfall
WCVB-TV
Johnson’s need to gloat was what eventually led to his capture. Following his instincts, Mason confirmed through a graphologist that the handwriting exactly matched the letter penned by the “other man.”
It was later also confirmed that Johnson had changed his name, skipped town, and had moved around for some time before settling down in Chicago.
No Regrets
The Independent
After settling in Chicago, Johnson had a wife and kids and lived an unremarkable life for the last ten years. He was known as an active community member.
After seeing a documentary on TV looking back on his daring crime, Johnson could not resist sending the letter. He later stated that he had “no regrets.”
His Dad Would Have Been Proud
USA Today
It felt like destiny that Mason Longwood was the man that finally caught Johnson. It was a fitting tribute to his father, whose brilliant career had only been marred by his inability to catch Johnson.
Given his advanced age, Johnson’s sentence was mitigated, and he still holds a “Robin Hood” type of cult following for his antics.
