Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had just arrived in Bolivia, looking to escape the pursuit of American authorities and to start their criminal enterprise anew in the South American country. However, Sundance quickly develops a sour mood when he sees the poor, third-world quality of the Bolivian countryside.But Butch reassures their female companion. "He'll feel better after he's robbed a few banks," says Butch. I wonder if a similar type of anxious thought was going through the mind of Pennsylvania's Richard Brandon Johnson (pictured immediately above) upon his release from the pokey last week (links to full story at bottom).
That's because Johnson had only been out of the can a few hours when he allegedly boosted an SUV from a Walmart parking lot (dude really seemed to like hanging around Walmarts – read on) and drove the vehicle to go pull a bank job in Benscreek, Pa.
But as an alleged criminal, Johnson ain't exactly a flaming wit. Cops say he entered the bank without any mask or disguise, which allowed him to be easily identified on the bank’s surveillance video. He reportedly did know enough, however, to order the bank teller not to include any dye packs with the loot, which would have exploded and permanently marked the cash later on.
Johnson's alleged take from the score was a measly $1,100, which might have been what led the local police chief – immediately after the bank robbery – to proclaim: "We need to get him before he does another job."
But it turns that that the chief really had nothing to worry about: After this piece of work went down, Johnson allegedly headed back to a Walmart, apparently to do some casual shopping!
However, before Johnson could so much as shop for a ski mask for his next job, cops say an "alert citizen" and fellow Walmart shopper spotted Johnson as a local bank robbery suspect and fingered him to the police. The bust went down right there at the discount store.
Now, I might be able to imagine some of Johnson's alleged crazy behavior if he was some hardened criminal getting out of the joint after doing some hard time – but that definitely wasn't Johnson. He had been in the county clink only about a month in connection with an assault charge (cops say he clocked his old lady right in the face on New Year's Day). He had been released on a $10,000 recognizance bond, and the judge says that a plea deal had been "in the works" for Johnson on the assault rap.
But now, he's back in the ice house and faces a $500,000 bond if he wants another taste of freedom before his trial on bank robbery charges. And since prosecutors appear to have this dude on tape with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar, I don't see too many more plea deals in Johnson's future.
Johnson himself is providing no clues for why he allegedly went on a crime spree only a few hours after getting out of the freezer. He clammed up and gave cops the silent treatment, saying only "Hi, mom" to reporters at his arraignment.
Now he may have to do his waving to mama from the inside of a cell for a long, long time to come. And to think, if he had just done his shopping at that first Walmart before the bank job (allegedly), he might still be on the loose. (Assuming a mask or disguise purchase, of course). I'm confident Butch and Sundance never would have made that same mistake.
http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x856147008/Suspect-held-in-bank-heist
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