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a plan to fail painting reinhard. 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. Ad Choices, The untold story of the Transy Book Heist is one part, 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, Maybe instead of being one among many, [this film] will make me the one, a fresh-faced Rob Lowe told us in 1984. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) During their sentencing hearing, in December 2005, the federal prosecutor asked for 11 to 14 years each for Eric, Chas, and Spencer, and 14 to 17 years for Warren, deeming him the leader, organizer, and recruiter. agent discovered the stolen books, all undamaged, as well as the five-page typed plan for the heist, an accounting ledger, wigs, instructions for opening a Swiss bank account, and stun guns, which had apparently arrived after the robbery. The others spent time in the library, too, taking notes on staff routines and viable escape routes. Amid safety concerns, and anxiety over the fate of a $200 million movie. The L.P.D. Over the phone and by e-mail, Beckman had asked to view, among other items, a first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and four double-size folios of John James Audubon's Birds of America. They stuffed some of the smaller books Gooch had pulled out for them into their backpacks. Because of the expense, only Warren made the trip, touching down at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport on a Saturday morning in early March 2004. Warren was like, Ive talked to these guys. A member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. The truth is, but for one obvious, big mistakethe trip to Christie'sthey probably would have gotten away with it, a Lexington police detective told me. As she was heading toward a display case, Gooch felt a tingling on her right arm and collapsed to the floor. Returning five minutes later with a rolling red suitcase in tow, Spencer opened it on the conference table. It had been agreed that Warren, with his smooth talk, and Spencer, with his artistic knowledge, would go to the meeting. I'd heard about them before, but I didn't know anything about them. Warren and Chas go up to the Rare Book Room, on the third floor, and Warren brings Gooch down hard and fast with a stun gun, making her a non-factor throughout the operation. Warren and Chas then let Eric in and they begin wrapping the Audubons in bedsheets and put any smaller books in backpacks. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. During our interview Eric told me, He was like just a weight on us. Oh, yeah, he almost got shot, says Eric, laughing. 2023 Cond Nast. The minimum-security Federal Correctional Institution in Ashland, Kentucky, 125 miles from Lexington, houses approximately 1,200 inmates in multi-story cellblocks encircled by concentric layers of razor-topped fencing and fortified guard towers. We told B.J. Nothing panned out until mid-January, when, following a federal subpoena, Yahoo delivered all the data on its servers related to the walter.beckman@yahoo.com address. They all pled guilty to federal charges of robbery and. His malaise was likely exacerbated by his parents impending divorce amid his mothers allegations that his father, Big Warren, the celebrated coach of the universitys womens soccer team, had gambled the family into bankruptcy. Between studying for his first semesters finals, working out, and painting, Spencer made time to scope out the Special Collections section of the Transy library, reporting back to Warren weeks later that there was zero security other than an old lady librarian named B.J. Improvising on the plan, he kicked Eric and Warren out on the street, believing three men in a gray minivan would draw too much attention. So we get the passport from the dude, plane tickets. Spencer had underestimated his friends resolve. Nothing panned out until mid-January, when, following a federal subpoena, Yahoo delivered all the data on its servers related to the walter.beckman@yahoo.com address. We will be stronger, better, wiser for going through this together, the three of us. The truth is, but for one obvious, big mistakethe trip to Christiesthey probably would have gotten away with it, a Lexington police detective told me. We can never go back if we wanted toI would rather have not been busted, but all I can say is it feels right in here, and before, in college, it just never did., I remember talking to Eric and Warren one day and I was like, So what, they're going to put us in jail, says Spencer. We had a few pitchers, feeling each other out. Spencer Reinhard Please send me the price list, I am interested in purchasing an original Reinhard After Audubon 2014 to Present After prison I took up a casual interest in birds. I guess when we did that she went upstairs to check on B.J.. Several weeks before Spencer was approached by Warren about the fake-ID business, he had been on a freshman-orientation tour of Transy, including the library and its exceptional collection of rare books and manuscripts. Warren called me one night and he's like, We need to get together. Sign up for The Gleaners morning and evening newsletters. Warren went up to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to call. If you were referring only to my paintings featuring birds, I would say its my ability to render the birds accurately, but in a way that gives them personality.. They're all slim and dressed identically in cheap sneakers and a khaki uniform emblazoned with their incarceration numbers, and all have hair down to their shoulders. 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. We told B.J. I think we all knew that we wanted something different, and we had to break away from where we were living. I was expecting to play soccer quite a lot, but the coach was a completely different person once I got on the team, he tells me. As they scooted down the stairs their arms gave out and they stopped to catch their breath. Like, they were doing something serious, talking about the heist, going over the plan, and somebody would make a joke. We can do a license, but now we need a passport. So he says, Come see me in a couple of days or a week, but I need money, $2,500. All right, you know, just another thing, O.K., 2,500 bucks. Handwriting can be an important piece of evidence in a criminal investigation. When the four boys were arrested the news was met with disbelief, as none of them had been in any serious trouble before. I can't really get into too much specifics, Eric says, but we were doing all kinds of little scams: making fake IDs, making little things here and there. After a brief discussion they chose Chas Allen, a handsome, clean-cut U.K. business major who had started the lawn-care company with Eric the previous summer. Bam. . Afterward, he was to call Eric up to haul the books in two trips to the G.T.A.V., which was to be driven by Chas. I developed techniques that no one that I know of has done. Like if we ever get caught, were talking about international issues, way past interstate commerce or whatever the hell it is.. The day of the heist was to be Thursday, December 16, one of the last days of final examsthe library would be nearly empty. Afterward, they returned to the Hilton for an early night. As they took their seats in the conference room, Warren explained that he and Mr. Stephens are the sole representatives of Walter Beckman, whom he described as a very private individual from Boston who had recently inherited several valuable rare books and manuscripts. At first, we wanted to move to the States as quickly as possible, but we began to see the benefits of living in South America. Warren also ordered four stun guns over the Internet. 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. Spencer gives me 500 bucks, in my pocket. She agreed. This story was recently documented in the feature film American Animals. For added anonymity, Warren bleached his hair blond that night. Spencer assembled his outfit with even greater care. They simply ignored him, and the four returned to Lexington. They said that this set, Birds of America, sold for $12 million. I said, Twelve million dollars, just sitting there? Wearing a heavy coat, gloves, and a wool cap, Beckman signed the visitors log. On the second-floor landing, Chas, in high-end flannel pajamas and thinking they were being robbed, pulled out a derringer, only to drop the weapon at the last moment. and having to sign a fucking book. By hitting the ball back into Warrens court, Spencer thought he would keep that thrilling flicker of criminality burning for a bit longer, while fully expecting there to be an insurmountable obstacle somewhere down the road. 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. Spencer drives me out to Lexington [Blue Grass Airport] on a Friday. As a precautionary measure, they left the books in the car. So I kind of go, That would be pretty crazy, wouldn't it? He said, Yeah, that would be kind of crazy. I then said, You know, why don't you look into it more and we'll go from there? Just like very unofficial.. Now we can't ever go back there. A painting by Reinhard, a gifted artist, may offer some clues. To have time to properly apply the disguises, he tried to reschedule his art-history final for later in the day on the 16th, but was unsuccessful. And Eric calls to him. But even at that point, it became apparent that Warren and Spencer wouldnt be able to pull it off alone. part of a series on Honesty Warren and Spencer readied themselves early without waking the others, silently showering, shaving, and putting the finishing touches on their outfits. In the fall of 2004, Warren Lipka moved into the unfinished basement. She also said that she was so suspicious and put off by the young men's youth and demeanor that she had recommended to her boss that they not pursue the business. I know the collection is extensive and anything you think I might be interested in seeing, by all means, share, he wrote. All rights reserved. They also noticed a group of people lingering in the Rare Book Room. onto nearby Fourth Street and careened through traffic before stopping a mile farther on, in front of a predominantly black housing project. Spencer drives me out to Lexington [Blue Grass Airport] on a Friday. Spencer's life story and his practice are indelibly linked, thus the works he has created are a highly personal meditation on the journey Spencer Reinhard experienced. He thought he was much better than everybody else, and he got to the point where he wasnt like us. As a child he drew and painted and his abilities led him to consider a career as an artist whilst at High School. In exchange, Barry slipped him an e-mail address with instructions to sign off any communication with the name Terry. The painting, in digital form, would become a popular screen saver on the F.B.I. Lifting a technique straight from the film Reservoir Dogs, Warren assigned code names based on color: Mr. Green (Spencer), Mr. Yellow (Warren), and Mr. Black (Eric)as in the film, emotions turned testy when he assigned Mr. The Lexington Police Department's commercial-burglary squad was assigned to the case. Gooch agreed to reschedule for 11 the next morning. Then, everything becomes meta. notified all the airports in the area, dispatched officers to surrounding neighborhoods, and called the F.B.I. By that point Warren, Eric, and Spencer knew for certain they were going down. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. The other was short and quiet, wearing a yellow jacket two sizes too large and a matching scarf. She offered to take his place. My world view actually expanded. Eric would stay on the main floor while Warren subdued Gooch in the Rare Book Room. Pink, in this case to Chas. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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. Fuck Biden, Dont Tread on Me, and a Wisconsin Death Trip for Our Times. Cant have any of this documented. (Because Spencer was a Transy student, he risked being recognized in the library.) They were 20 steps ahead [of the librarian]. All Rights Reserved. They got security around that? Warren asked Spencer. Eric had propped the folios on the steps with his foot when the librarian appeared at the top of the stairs, beside herself with rage after finding Gooch hog-tied in the Rare Book Room. Again, Warren thought otherwise. For Spencer it all started with a series of mild disappointments. The meeting ended after 30 minutes, and Ms. Halloran escorted the two out, assuring them that she'd be in touch after conferring with her superiors on the best way forward. After several phone calls Warren managed to arrange a meeting in New York. We did the robbery as a way to escape, Eric says. It was just funny because weve been in a lot of places that theyve been, Eric says. So we get the passport from the dude, plane tickets. This is my first time on the island, any island for that matter, he said. The take could be more than $5 million. And the woman there says, We had a set just like this that we sold four years ago for like $12 million. It could have been eight. The severity of the requested sentences was predicated on the dual propositions that, although the Audubon volumes had never been physically removed from the library, according to the letter of the law they were nonetheless stolenincreasing the monetary value of the crimeand that the Black Cobra Stun Pen used to subdue B. J. Gooch not only inflicted physical harm but was in actuality a dangerous weapon. Worse still for the defendants, B. J. Goochs ordeal had become a cause clbre among librarians, many of whom wrote letters to the judge arguing against leniency. In early February 2005, the F.B.I. Lifting a technique straight from the film Reservoir Dogs, Warren assigned code names based on color. He looked like he was dressed from a thrift store, Halloran told the agents. More important, the basement was secluded. Eric Borsuk, Spencer Reinhard, Charles 'Chas' Allen IIand Warren Lipka hatched a grand plan to steal rare books from their uni library Credit: KKYT. Im not going to lie. He added: Its always nice to be with people that are familiar with the area, and Ive been made to feel very welcome. Warren, under an alias, would make an appointment with Gooch for that afternoon to view the books they wanted to steal. They think we have [the books]. They jump in the van and peel out around the loop.. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) In fact, wedged in their backpacks was nearly three-quarters of a million dollars' worth of books and manuscripts: an 1859 first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection ($25,000), an illuminated manuscript from 1425 ($200,000), a set of the two-volume 15th-century horticultural masterpiece entitled Hortus Sanitatis ($450,000), 20 original Audubon pencil drawings ($50,000), and Audubon's A Synopsis of the Birds of North America ($10,000). Warren jumped at the opportunity and recruited another adrift freshman, his old high-school soccer teammate Eric Borsuk, as a partner. He said, You do that and you are free then to give them to us when you can. O.K., great. Because no one would go to Christie's with stolen books to get them appraisedthat's how we did a lot of stuff, like, we would smoke weed directly under the [security] camera on the Transy campus, park a car right underneath it and then smoke for like an hour. Spencer would communicate with Warren from a cell phone, which Warren would steal from a student in the morning. The meeting initially hit a snag when Barry was put off by the boys' youth. A week later came a terse reply, telling Terry that, if he wanted to sell something, he was going to have to come in person to Amsterdam, as that is where I do business. Both Spencer and Warren were thrilleduntil they realized it would require traveling with a passport. 2021 Spencer Reinhard all rights reserved. Once Warren had pulled the cap over Gooch's 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). Eric dropped the books, and he and Warren made a run for it. He topped off his new living quarters with the last of his worldly belongings: a large-screen television, a DVD player, and a Sony PlayStation. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. We're going to need more people, Warren remembers thinking. Behind the main building and through three blastproof security doors is the prison visitors room, where I meet separately with Likpa, Reinhard, and Borsuk for a series of interviews almost a year into their sentence. Spencer was born in 1984 in Lexington Kentucky. We weren't, like, hardened criminals, so we kind of had to really put up a front. Warren deepens his voice: How ya doing? That kind of stuff. 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