When Warren arrived, he saw a man fitting that description seated with three other men. Afterward, they returned to the Hilton for an early night. The painting is a kaleidoscope of images, including what appears to be a computer, a cell phone, a bong, the Transylvania library, and loose sheets of notepaper, floating above a desiccated one-eyed young man in a watch cap, kicking back on a beat-up couch with a blue dog on his lap. In seeking to find a voice of ones own the obstacles are myriad, and often many succumb to the inevitable pressures of life and abandon their practice. 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. Realizing that the only way out was through the main floor, they took the elevator up once again and carried the books into a back stairwell that led to another exit. Fuck Biden, Dont Tread on Me, and a Wisconsin Death Trip for Our Times. Warren made an appraisal appointment at Christies in New York for Walter Beckman, a pseudonym inspired by the soccer star David Beckham. The crew arrived in New York City early Sunday morning. I showed artistic ability from a young age and was selected to attend SCAPA in the fourth grade. He looked like he was dressed from a thrift store, Halloran told the agents. 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. Spencer had underestimated his friend's resolve. As a child he drew and painted and his abilities led him to consider a career as an artist whilst at High School. Near the boiler he also jerry-rigged a greenhouse for growing marijuana. They went back up in the elevator, accidentally stopping on the main floor, where they were spotted by another librarian. They also noticed a group of people lingering in the Rare Book Room. Its great to be the inspiration for this project., Two weeks into his stay, Reinhard, an ardent ornithologist, whose works draw inspiration from late Dutch-American abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning, feels that his greatest artistic asset is his versatility. 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. The meeting ended after 30 minutes, and Ms. Halloran escorted the two out, assuring them that shed be in touch after conferring with her superiors on the best way forward. 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 drivers licensesand paying in cash. That's what we were doing, kind of living this little Matchstick Men, college kind of life.. Spencer, meanwhile, was short, wiry, distant, and in many ways Warrens opposite: an over-scheduled, over-achieving, diamond-tipped drill of a kid who excelled at whatever he set himself to. It gave me an excellent opportunity to learn Spanish. Writing from walter.beckman@yahoo.com, Warren sent B. J. Gooch an e-mail confirming Beckmans December 16 appointment at the Rare Book Room to view the Audubons and a few other items. Even if they did steal the books, for example, how would they ever sell them? As far as they could see, there were only two ways out: either getting away with the crime or getting arrested for it. They simply ignored him, and the four returned to Lexington. During a meeting in the basement, Warren convinced the other two that they were going to need a fourth, principally to help haul the nearly 250 pounds in Audubon folios out of the library. Mr. Beckman now wanted these books appraised. Because of the expense, only Warren made the trip, touching down at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on a Saturday morning in early March 2004. 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. In high school, Warren, a lanky six-footer with a mop of brown hair, was a popular jock and a class clown who delighted his classmates by bear-hugging his nemesis, the dean of students, at graduation. agents poured in over the wreckage. He also didn't have photos, photocopies, documentation, or even the slightest ability to intelligently discuss the books. They take you in the Special Collections and show you these books, Spencer remembers, including Transy's 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. Phase 3 is the escape, which involves switching the G.T.A.V. 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. When not at practice, Warren spent his time smoking pot, watching Comedy Central, and reading German philosophy. He thought he was much better than everybody else, and he got to the point where he wasnt like us. And one thing led to another and we were just like, Let's put this behind us. And once we get past all of that, we started talking about this plan that he and Spencer have. Among the prisoners are three of the four unlikely masterminds behind the Transy Book Heist: Warren Lipka, Spencer Reinhard, and Eric Borsuk. Chas promised to return to pick them up in another car after dropping the minivan off at his moms house. The plan for the actual robbery sets out three distinct phases. Spencer, feeling increasingly disaffected with school life himself, readily accepted the offer. The boys readily agreed, and she escorted them through the offices to a small conference room. That was the point all along. Once the boys were inside the library, students stared at the ridiculous old-man disguises. 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. into a perfect parking space and watched as Eric and Warren entered the library. 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. What they would tell me, then, is their version of eventsand the only complete account of the planning, execution, and aftermath of the heist. The reaction to the plan was generally positiveshortly after Thanksgiving, they moved forward. sent a team to interview Melanie Halloran, who told the agents about her meeting with Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams. 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. Only cannabis-smoking goalkeeper Warren Lipka . 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. After an awkward back-and-forth, Warren finally handed the man the $500. The investigation of the Transy Book Heist came to an explosive end on the morning of February 11, 2005, as a SWAT unit broke down the front door of the yellow bungalow with a battering ram, blasting stun grenades throughout the building. In the case of 67-year-old Alan Slattery of the U.K., it prevented a robbery from even happening. Shift + Tab to replay. Because this is so much bigger than anything weve done before, Eric says. Chas backs up [the van] and almost hits the woman as Eric comes around to the door. Its often considered a mistake in the art world to have multiple styles, but I have to go wherever my inspiration takes me. So I walk off happy, come back to the States, and blow Spencers mind.. . All four were brought to Lexington police headquarters and individually interrogated by F.B.I. They think we have [the books]. Spencer, meanwhile, was accepted to Transylvania on an arts scholarship, his sights firmly set on a career in graphic design. Frank Spencer Broker at Keller Williams Realty Published Feb 20, 2017 + Follow This past week we held a training outlining the 21 . Having told their parents that they were going on a ski trip to West Virginia, that weekend they loaded the loot into Eric's Ford Explorer and took off on the 12-hour drive to New York for their Christie's appointment. In the morning, Warren says, he left two messages with Leckeys secretary and two more that afternoon. Who do we trust?. Back at Warren's 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. Like, they were doing something serious, talking about the heist, going over the plan, and somebody would make a joke. By five P.M., Warrenas Beckmanwas back on the phone with Gooch explaining that he had missed his appointment because he had been out of town on business. The take could be more than $5 million. 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. The take could be more than $5 million. Warren introduced himself as Mr. Williams. It was during his studies at Transylvania University that Spencer became aware of John James Audubons work, The Birds of America. They surveyed the offices of the campus police. 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. From the facts that were available, it appeared that a team of four men, described as Caucasian, in their 20s, had stolen some of the most prized books and manuscripts in the universitys collection, and attacked a librarian in the process. Dressed for success in a tailored dark-blue suit his parents had bought for special occasions and future job interviews, Warren cultivated the young-conservative look, using a Windsor knot on his red tie and giving his wing tips a last-minute buff. onto nearby Fourth Street and careened through traffic before stopping a mile farther on, in front of a predominantly black housing project. Um. (Through his attorney, Allen declined to be interviewed.) Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. Eric dropped the books, and he and Warren made a run for it. The day of the heist was to be Thursday, December 16, one of the last days of final examsthe library would be nearly empty. Buried in the files was a series of e-mails to Christies in New York. 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 said, You do that and you are free then to give them to us when you can. O.K., great. They stopped talking entirely and disbanded. Because this is so much bigger than anything we've done before.. We told B.J. 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. Remembering Distinguished Jamaicans Cabinet ministers of 1955 and 1959, Tricia Nicholas makes a mark in corporate governance , Brazil reckons with artistic treasures ruined in riot, A reporter at a dying paper solves a serial murder, ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and collapse of creative process, Set goals and appropriate their manifestation, Looted ancient sarcophagus returned to Egypt, Heres how your cup of coffee contributes to climate change, Digital Archives: Online editions 2006-Now. from an unsuspecting friend and got his hands on zip ties, a wool cap, electricians tape, and bedsheets. Near the boiler he also jerry-rigged a greenhouse for growing marijuana. He was told to look for a bearded, heavyset man in a solid-blue sweater. Eric and Chas dropped Warren and Spencer off around the corner from Christies. notified all the airports in the area, dispatched officers to surrounding neighborhoods, and called the F.B.I. I was kind of skeptical, continues Spencer, but the way I rationalized it was: its the biggest auction house. 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. Bam. I'd heard about them before, but I didn't know anything about them. There were all sorts of theories as to why they had done it: they were drug addicts; they had amassed large gambling debtsor Lipkas father had, and the boys did it to save the familys honor (the variant most popular with the local papers). In exchange, Barry slipped him an e-mail address with instructions to sign off any communication with the name Terry. (Big Warren declined to comment on the gambling accusations at the time.) I still feel like I have a long way to go to reach my full potential, and I think Jamaica will be an integral step in that direction., American visual artist Spencer Reinhard, an artist-in-residence at Blue Macaw in Boscobel, St. Mary, The ornithologist in Spencer Reinhard takes gaze. sent a team to interview Melanie Halloran, who told the agents about her meeting with Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams. Warren called Gooch back to change Walter Beckman's appointment to three P.M. On the morning of December 16, Warren's carefully scripted plan began to unravel almost immediately. Thats what we were doing, kind of living this little Matchstick Men, college kind of life.. and Lexington police put the pair under surveillance. It had some tennis trivia in there that I wasnt expecting.. Warren went up to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to call. We'll all be still young, Warren says. All Rights Reserved. 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). Warren called me one night and hes like, We need to get together. Add to cart Category: Prints Additional information Four students stole priceless books from Transylvania University. Pink, in this case to Chas. By that point Warren, Eric, and Spencer knew for certain they were going down. still young, Warren says. They were skeptical, Warren recalls. The ground floor quickly filled with shouting cops, screaming young women, and a few dazed men in boxer shorts. When not at practice, Warren spent his time smoking pot, watching Comedy Central, and reading German philosophy. 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