Shortly thereafter he was introduced to a Lexington Catholic alumnus who was making an easy living in identity theft. 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. 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. Eric and Chas dropped Warren and Spencer off around the corner from Christie's. (Throughout the interviews with the three, it became clear that Chas was the odd man out among the group. He was told to look for a bearded, heavyset man in a solid-blue sweater. 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. Chas not only lived in the yellow bungalow but also was a part owner of it with his father, a prominent Lexington real-estate investor. Over the phone and by e-mail, Beckman had asked to view, among other items, a first edition of Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species and four double-size folios of John James Audubons Birds of America. So we would see parts like that and we would be Oh, this is just like us. Little did the three know that F.B.I. That was the plan. Because this is so much bigger than anything weve done before.. The L.P.D. We had a few pitchers, feeling each other out. Only cannabis-smoking goalkeeper Warren Lipka . and local detectives. Bam. We're going to need more people, Warren remembers thinking. By that point Warren, Eric, and Spencer knew for certain they were going down. Seeing something in the wayward Warren, the preppy grifter pitched him the idea of selling fake Kentucky driver's licenses in the U.K. dorms. The four men. A 20-man task force of Lexington police and F.B.I. In terms of the dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the most significant in its history. The thieves left no fingerprints behind, and there were almost no witnesses. Because this is so much bigger than anything weve done before, Eric says. Mass Market Paperback. Despite the differing temperamentsand the disapproval of Spencer's parentsthe two were best friends from the age of eight, a friendship that revolved largely around soccer. Frank Spencer Broker at Keller Williams Realty Published Feb 20, 2017 + Follow This past week we held a training outlining the 21 . He was told to look for a bearded, heavyset man in a solid-blue sweater. 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. Once safely back in Lexington, the two created a Yahoo account and sent off the e-mail in which they claimed to have unspecified rare books in their possession, using the name Terry, as instructed. During our interview Eric told me, He was like just a weight on us. The other was short and quiet, wearing a yellow jacket two sizes too large and a matching scarf. and having to sign a fucking book. By hitting the ball back into Warren's 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. Both boys were spitting images of Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Failure to plan is planning to fail because if you don't plan anything, you might as well not plan at all. Spencer assembled his outfit with even greater care. 1.7K Followers. 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 was also less cordial and more agitated in person, asking Gooch soon after arriving if he could invite a friend along to see the books. I cant 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. 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. Warren jumped at the opportunity and recruited another adrift freshman, his old high-school soccer teammate Eric Borsuk, as a partner. But before long they were put to chase once again, this time by two local thugs. In the morning, Warren says, he left two messages with Leckey's secretary and two more that afternoon. His malaise was likely exacerbated by his parents' impending divorce amid his mother's allegations that his father, Big Warren, the celebrated coach of the university's women's soccer team, had gambled the family into bankruptcy. Once the boys were inside the library, students stared at the ridiculous old-man disguises. They also noticed a group of people lingering in the Rare Book Room. We live in 10 months of the year in Colombia and spend two in the States. At 11 the next morning, Chas slipped the G.T.A.V. Whilst Spencers life path may have been unorthodox at times one can only but admire what it has led him to. She offered to take his place. 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. Warren also ordered four stun guns over the Internet. They were 20 steps ahead [of the librarian]. Spencer was born in 1984 in Lexington Kentucky. Eric Borsuk, Spencer Reinhard, Charles 'Chas' Allen IIand Warren Lipka hatched a grand plan to steal rare books from their uni library Credit: KKYT. Speculative plans became actual plans, the plan became a dry run, the dry run became a crime - a botched affair that . Barry described himself as an older man with a long ponytail and said hed be wearing a green scarf. [Warrens] like, Come on up, Eric remembers. All reinhard art prints ship within 48 hours and include a 30-day money-back guarantee. After high school I chose to attend Transylvania University where I would continue to play soccer and study art. This story was recently documented in the feature film American Animals. They climbed onto dorm roofs, where theyd stake out the library for hours at a time, marking down the comings and goings of teachers, students, and security personnel. In between soccer practice, classes, painting, and studying, Spencer drew detailed sketches of the inside of the Special Collections Library and the adjacent Rare Book Room, making several appointments with the Special Collections librarian, Betty Jean Gooch, to scout the premises. Pink, in this case to Chas. The Lexington Police Departments commercial-burglary squad was assigned to the case. Although the two hadn't really been in contact in the first few months of school, Warren knew that Spencer's artistic talents would be an asset. As they ran, they stumbled again into Chas, who had returned in another car as promised, just in time to save them and drive Eric to U.K. for his tennis-class exam. The partnership flourished, with Warren as the face of the operation and Eric in charge of ID production, until the two had an argument over $2,000 that went missing from Eric's drawer. I was kind of skeptical, continues Spencer, but the way I rationalized it was: it's the biggest auction house. 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. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised by my wonderful parents in what was a largely carefree and happy childhood. They got security around that? Warren asked Spencer. Leave a message. A Google search of Spencer Reinhard brought up numerous hits for soccer in the Lexington area. The next day, they worked off their hangovers by checking out Ground Zero before strolling into the bustle of Chinatown for lunch. I've met with them, Eric continues. When not at practice, Warren spent his time smoking pot, watching Comedy Central, and reading German philosophy. Aside from harming B. J. Gooch, Spencer, Warren, and Eric maintain that they have no regrets. The contact, who identified himself only as Barry, stipulated that Warren had to bring $500 in good-faith money. 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. Eric rented a proper bedroom upstairs, while Spencer moved back into the dorms at Transylvania. The two boys sought cover from the cops in the sprawling grounds of the housing projects. And Eric calls to him. Spencer received a commission to paint murals at a local school and kept up his soccer training, Eric started a lawn-care business with his friend Chas Allen, and Warren landed a job at a local day camp. We werent, 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. 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. Phase 3 is the escape, which involves switching the G.T.A.V. That night Chas snapped, they say, fearing the Christies book appraisalthe Jesus bolt holding Warrens entire heist plan togetherwas in danger of falling through. Eric dropped the books, and he and Warren made a run for it. Spencer, feeling increasingly disaffected with school life himself, readily accepted the offer. 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. Spencer called himself Mr. Stephens. She described one of the young men as about six feet tall, with bleached-blond hair, well dressed in a nice suit, and very talkative. Chas backs up [the van] and almost hits the woman as Eric comes around to the door. I was not in my ordinary largely white existence anymore. The untold story of the Transy Book Heist is one part Ocean's 11, one part Harold & Kumar: four Kentucky college kids who had millions to gain and nothing to lose. The next morning, all nerves, he left for the meeting site, a caf within walking distance. I'm not sure, but it was a lot. Late one Thursday afternoon in mid-February, the two friends bought a bag of weed and drove the 700 miles to Manhattan in Spencer's Acura Legend. American Animals is a 2018 heist film written and directed by Bart Layton.Starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, and Ann Dowd, it follows four college friends who plan a heist of their library.It tells the story of an actual heist which took place at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky in 2004.. American Animals premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film . See, we have no choice now but to create something new, someplace else. I showed artistic ability from a young age and was selected to attend SCAPA in the fourth grade. They said that this set, Birds of America, sold for $12 million. I said, Twelve million dollars, just sitting there? It had been agreed that Warren, with his smooth talk, and Spencer, with his artistic knowledge, would go to the meeting. Shortly thereafter he was introduced to a Lexington Catholic alumnus who was making an easy living in identity theft. Warren was like, Ive talked to these guys. They think we have [the books]. They climbed onto dorm roofs, where they'd stake out the library for hours at a time, marking down the comings and goings of teachers, students, and security personnel. 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. Having concluded that the next logical stage of his development was to study art in college he enrolled at Transylvania University in Kentucky. 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 driver's licensesand paying in cash. Cops entered the basement, a dank pit reeking of marijuana, and found Warren sprawled out on a mattress. 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. Mr. Beckman now wanted these books appraised. The banality of assessments, passing courses for the sake of progression and limited intellectual stimulation meant that Spencers time at university was far removed from his hoped for experience. New film American Animals tells the story of one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history when three well off friends Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk and Chas Allen decided to try . 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. For added anonymity, Warren bleached his hair blond that night. My world view actually expanded. 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