
I took my family on the run for 19 years - sjclemmy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39849458
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drewg123
It sounds like this guy never committed another crime (except to keep his
identity hidden), and was a productive member of society for decades. If so,
then what was the point of locking him up for 5 years? Who did that help?

I think the inability to just disappear has a lot to do with increasing
recidivism. If you can't wipe your record clean, and are always going to be
tarnished, then why bother following the rules?

~~~
cpncrunch
>If so, then what was the point of locking him up for 5 years? Who did that
help?

If someone can get away with a huge robbery and not suffer any consequences,
that completely undermines the justice system.

~~~
stouset
The purpose of the justice system shouldn't be to exact retribution — it
should be to rehabilitate. It's not about consequences, it's about putting
people back on the right track.

~~~
dzdt
Let me guess just based on these posts (no peeking at user pages) : capncrunch
is American while stouset is European.

~~~
linkregister
stouset would probably have a different viewpoint if they were the victim of a
robbery, while capncrunch would have a different viewpoint if they had been
imprisoned or knew someone who was.

~~~
stouset
I have been the victim of a robbery. And I have a close family member who just
started a 6.5 year sentence in federal prison. My current views were formed
before the events leading up to this (and before the robbery).

I also recognize that arguing for political change based on n=1 sample size
and personal experience is an horrible way to approach problems at a state,
city, or country level.

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anigbrowl
Since it appears that nobody was physically injured by his theft, I really
feel the stature of limitations should apply here. Nobody is better off by his
extradition, imprisonment, and exile.

Nonviolent bank robbery is pretty low on the social ills scale. That opinion
will annoy a lot of people, but get back to me when white-collar crime is
prosecuted with the same enthusiasm. This guy is being made an example of for
political reasons, nothing more. His crime is to have broken the rules that
were designed to keep him in his place in the working class.

~~~
cpncrunch
You probably wouldn't have the same opinion if your bank collapsed due to
people constantly robbing it, and you lost your entire life savings.

~~~
anigbrowl
I'm not arguing for abandoning security or crime investigation completely, am
I? Please don't mischaracterize my argument.

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icefo
I wonder how difficult it would be to disappear like that today. Is it even
possible in first world countries ?

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Retric
The US for example has several million 'undocumented' people. That's a rather
pool of people to consider something impossible.

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breitling
True. However, they are not being actively pursued.

~~~
Retric
It's not enough if your 'Americas Most Wanted'. But, there are a lot of
'deadbeat' dads that are actively pursued. They often use similar methods and
cash only jobs.

EX: Bike couriers are a good example of relatively high pay and often minimal
documentation.

~~~
clort
perhaps thats not disappearing though, merely hiding. I mean, being a cash in
hand bike courier isn't going to set up a pension fund, is it? Old age is a
long way off when you are 25, but it comes along eventually

~~~
tormeh
The easiest thing to do would probably be to buy gold, which is not
inflationary like money is supposed to be. Of course that's not as good as an
index fund, but at least it's not cash.

You could also become a loan shark, which can be lucrative, but your illegal
status would give your customers leverage against you, which is something you
really don't want if this is your retirement savings...

~~~
anigbrowl
Keeping money under the mattress is a good way to get cleaned out if anyone
gets too curious about how such a person saves.

Becoming a loan shark is a possibility, I suppose, but puts someone in direct
competition with professional criminals and creates a whole new set of
existential and legal problems.

One low-risk strategy I've heard of being used by cash-savvy people is
purchasing food stamps at a discount to their face value. Again, pretty much
any kind of black market activity comes with legal risks.

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ars
He did all that for $160,000 ???

For ten times as much I get it, but that's very little to live your entire
life in an unsettled manner.

~~~
palakchokshi
That's what makes his claim that he was pressured to do this by some gang,
seem dubious. More probable is the idea that he was the one who kept the full
1.6 million.

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jandrese
If that were the case then were the money go? He ran out of cash pretty quick
in that small Colorado town and the only extravagant purchase in the story was
a $16k light aircraft.

I have to wonder how much he went "Why did I spend almost two decades looking
over my shoulder for a mere 3 year jail term?"

I also have to wonder just how much he hated the fake ID guy after the
millionth It joke.

~~~
palakchokshi
He paid for the 4 bedroom house in cash, paid for the aircraft, didn't have a
job for some time so house expenses. I'm guessing he bought cars, etc. Every
move he made probably came with expenses. Since he had to purchase houses in
cash as he wouldn't have been able to get a loan.

