71-year-old, wife arrested in bank heist

[JCMach1]

ANOTHER TALE FROM BUSH'S AMERICA

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A 71-year-old man told police he robbed a Gainesville bank Tuesday to raise money to pay the medical bills of his wife, who drove the getaway car, reports said.

Gainesville Police said the plan started to unravel for James Roland Clark of Archer - who used a Halloween mask and fake bomb during the robbery - when he got outside the Compass Bank at 2201 NW 43rd St. and a dye pack planted in the money exploded, releasing a large pink cloud over him as he left the bank.

He left the scene of the 9:30 a.m. robbery in a 1992 white Pontiac Grand Am driven by his 66-year-old wife, Deloris Jane Clark, police said. The couple were captured shortly after driving west on NW 8th Avenue.

No one was injured during the robbery.

"(James) Clark said it was to pay for his wife's medical bills," Sgt. Keith Kameg said. "In fact, they were on the way to the doctor at 10 a.m."

Authorities declined to release any further information about Deloris Clark's medical condition.

The Clarks were being held at the Alachua County jail late Tuesday. Both are charged with armed bank robbery, police said. James Clark also faces a charge of threatening to discharge a destructive device.

Although his wife has no criminal history, James Clark has a "significant federal criminal history" dating back to 1954, Kameg said. Charges include bank robbery, mail fraud and conspiracy to grow and distribute marijuana, officers reported. He also had been sentenced in 1992 to 12 years in a federal prison on bank robbery charges.

GPD Detective Joe Senn said James Clark was the oldest bank robbery suspect he'd ever seen.

"The guy could be my grandfather," he said...
http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040211/LOCAL/202110325

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. So that's why the helicopters

were flying around and around over my kid's school yesterday.

[Rebellious Republican]

2. Hey JC, how ya been man, say there was a poster here at DU

that was considering a run for for congress and was asking for advice. I thought maybe you could drop him a note with some of your experiences and give him some advice as a first time candidate yourself. Hows the family doing, are you guys recovered from the campaign. Do you think you are going to give it another run? Take care, RR. Oh, here is the link, and you can send him a private message if you choose.http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1103082

[JCMach1]

3. I saw that... most of what everyone was saying was just about

right.

Except you cannot know what it takes until you do it...

Will Pitt posted about that the other day.

It is so good to be just 'Citizen' Cumbus again. :)

[onebigbadwulf]

4. Here in America... if you can't pay your medical bills

you don't rob a bank... you're supposed to die in the gutter in complete agony over the course of several months. That's the American way.

[JPace]

5. But before you die in the gutter...

you morgage your house, give up most foods
and live on beans, shop Goodwill for your
kids clothes, forget about dental care for
the family, drive a car that 15 years old,
and beg for charity for heating bills. When
there is nothing left to cut out and the bill
collectors take everything....then you go
die in the gutter so as not to be a burden
to the repugs.

[demdave]

6. After 50 YEARS of bank robbing and mail fraud, you would have thought

he would have had enough money set aside for health care. I'll bet that mean old federal government harassed this poor man and maybe even interrupted his career with rude detentions and imprisonments. It just makes you want to cry :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

The poor soul. His entire life's work, down the drain. :hurts::nopity:

[Moderator]

7. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=357751&mesg_id=357751