Anthony Hathaway is a convicted American bank robber who reportedly robbed as many as thirty banks in Washington State between 2013 and 2014 to pay for his drug addiction. He is featured in the 2021 Apple TV+ podcast Hooked.[1]
Anthony Hathaway | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anthony Leonard Hathaway |
| Other names | Cyborg Bandit, Elephant Man Bandit |
| Conviction(s) |
|
| Details | |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Washington |
Career
editHathaway began working for Boeing as a technical designer in 1990 at age 21.[2]
In 2005, Hathaway injured his back in the Boeing parking lot during a game of hockey with friends. He was prescribed the pain medication OxyContin after surgery for a ruptured disk in his back.[1] Subsequently, he became addicted to opioids and later heroin.[3]
Bank robberies
editAfter losing his job, Hathaway began robbing banks to support his heroin addiction.[4] He robbed banks in the Seattle metropolitan area, including Kirkland, Bellevue, the University District, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, and Everett.[5][6] During the crimes Hathaway generally wore a mask and gloves. At first, he wore textured metallic fabric over his face and was nicknamed the "Cyborg Bandit" because the disguise was similar to that of cyborgs in science fiction productions.[4][7] The disguise received media attention, so Hathaway covered his head with a shirt and cut out two eye holes, which resulted in the nickname "Elephant Man Bandit," because he looked similar to the character in the movie The Elephant Man, based on Joseph Merrick, a man who draped cloth over his disfigured face.[4][7][8]
On February 4, 2014, after a robbery at a US Bank located inside a Fred Meyer supermarket in Lynnwood, Washington, Hathaway's getaway vehicle was caught on surveillance.[4] The camera showed a light blue minivan with a Seattle Seahawks football decal on the back window and an after-market exterior mirror driving away.[4] The total money taken during Hathaway's robberies was $73,628.[7]
Hathaway admitted to thirty bank robberies between February 2013 and February 2014.[4] On December 23, 2015, Hathaway pled guilty to four counts of first-degree robbery and one count of felony theft.[6] On January 15, 2016, Hathaway was sentenced to nine years in prison and was ordered to repay all of the money stolen.[4][6] He also received a lifetime ban from all of the banks he robbed.[6]
In 2021, Apple TV+ released a podcasted titled Hooked, which is an adaptation of an article written by journalist Josh Dean for Bloomberg Businessweek titled "Hooked: America’s Busiest Bank Robber."[9][3] Dean hosts the podcast, which features interviews with Tony, his family members, and his friends.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b Gorenflo, Grace (November 9, 2021). "New podcast 'Hooked' explains how addiction led a Seattle Boeing engineer to rob banks". Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Hathaway, Tony (November 17, 2021). "'I Robbed 30 Banks in a Year'". Newsweek. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b McKervey, Henrietta (January 8, 2022). "Podcast of the week: How opioid addiction turned a skilled engineer into a bank robber". Independent. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Caught in the Act Prolific Washington State Bank Robber Sent to Prison". FBI. February 23, 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Prolific bank robber dubbed 'Elephant Man Bandit, 'Cyborg Bandit' sentenced to nearly 9 years in prison". FOX 13. February 23, 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d King, Rikki (February 25, 2016). "Everett's Cyborg Bandit gets nearly 9 years, must repay $75K". Everett Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Rick (March 17, 2016). "The Elephant Man Bandit, one of the Northwest's most prolific bank robbers, ends his run". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Police seek 'Elephant Man Bandit' for bank robberies". Today. July 31, 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b White, Peter (November 3, 2021). "Apple Moves Further Into Original Podcasts With Opioid Bank Robbery Series 'Hooked'". Deadline. Retrieved 5 April 2022.