After researching auction houses online, Warren singled out Christies in New York. The press invariably described them as good boys from good familiesupper-middle-class kids afforded every opportunity, the ones with the most to lose. onto nearby Fourth Street and careened through traffic before stopping a mile farther on, in front of a predominantly black housing project. The contact, who identified himself only as Barry, stipulated that Warren had to bring $500 in good-faith money. In terms of the dollar amount involved and the extraordinary circumstances, the theft was one of the most significant in its history. If you were referring only to my paintings featuring birds, I would say its my ability to render the birds accurately, but in a way that gives them personality.. Because the boys made the highly unusual decision not to accept the prosecutors offer to testify against one another during sentencing in exchange for leniency, they were each sentenced to identical seven-year terms. In the fall of 2003, Warren left for the University of Kentucky on a full athletic scholarship, eager to take his game to the next level, and with vague plans of getting into politics. We can do a license, but now we need a passport. So he says, Come see me in a couple of days or a week, but I need money, $2,500. All right, you know, just another thing, O.K., 2,500 bucks. Starting with a 1970s Pierre Cardin canary-yellow blazer that had belonged to his grandfather, he wore a dress shirt with an ostentatiously large collar and a gold silk scarf. With a long, thin face and bleached-blond hair and sideburns, he appeared younger than Gooch had expected. We figured the more obvious [we were], the less likely [we would be suspected]., As it was already nearing the end of the school year, and there was a lot of planning yet to be done, they agreed to postpone the theft until at least the fall. The press invariably described them as good boys from good familiesupper-middle-class kids afforded every opportunity, the ones with the most to lose. Before, in college, growing up, we were being funneled into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence. Mass Market Paperback. It immediately had kind of sparked my imagination, like a fantasy., O.K., so we're sitting in the car, smoking weed, Warren recalls, and then Spencer said, I just took a tour in that library, and there's shit sitting there you wouldn't believe. I was surprised he didnt.. It was hard for us. Though they attended different high schools, both were varsity captains, and both made all-state. If we go in there they're not going to suspect that we stole these. And so I see Warren go back.. . Shop - Spencer Reinhard A selection of some of my works available in limited edition print. In their senior year the two became local celebrities after a dramatic photo appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader showing Lexington Catholic star goalkeeper Lipka and Tates Creek forward Reinhard battling midair during a playoff game. Phase 3 is the escape, which involves switching the G.T.A.V. He was visibly unnerved, Warren remembers. What becomes apparent, as first faintly and then irreversibly, is the painting as a negative apotheosis of color and form, which Reinhardt defended himself against. Cant have any of this documented. This story was recently documented in the feature film American Animals. An American Animals coloring book, as well as original drawings Skip to content Spencer Reinhard Home After Audubon Prison Period Abstract Abstract color series Post prison Abstract About Shop Commissions Contact Menu Home After Audubon Prison Period In the fall of 2003, Warren left for the University of Kentucky on a full athletic scholarship, eager to take his game to the next level, and with vague plans of getting into politics. Chas turned the G.T.A.V. I was expecting to play soccer quite a lot, but the coach was a completely different person once I got on the team, he tells me. Id heard about them before, but I didnt know anything about them. I've met with them, Eric continues. He was told to look for a bearded, heavyset man in a solid-blue sweater. As a precautionary measure, they left the books in the car. The four men. Undeterred, Warren introduced himself as Terry, firmly shaking hands before sitting down. 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. Eric couldnt get hold of his friends car, leaving Chas to borrow a Dodge Caravan his mother was fortuitously selling the next day, the boys say. And I pledged a fraternity, but I really didnt get into that too much. 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. Believe me, you havent heard the last of us yet.. Spencer assembled his outfit with even greater care. Phase 1 ends when the G.T.A.V. As she was heading toward a display case, Gooch felt a tingling on her right arm and collapsed to the floor. After a brief discussion they chose Chas Allen, a handsome, clean-cut U.K. business major who had started the lawn-care company with Eric the previous summer. Even if they did steal the books, for example, how would they ever sell them? Now the hard partwe have to steal them. I was nervous. 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. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised by my wonderful parents in what was a largely carefree and happy childhood. Phase 1 begins at the bungalow when all four get into what Warren designated the G.T.A.V., or the Go-to-and-Away-Vehicle, all disguised as old men. When Eric let him in on the plan, Chas mocked the three as deluded potheads, he recalls. For footwear he went with clean white sneakers. Just days before their arrests the three even took in a movie: Ocean's 12. After a short wait, a young Christie's employee, Melanie Halloran, came out to apologize, as Mr. Leckey, due to an impending public auction, would be unable to see them. The F.B.I. Warren went up to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to call. One evening it occurred to Spencer that they had used the Walter Beckman Yahoo account to contact both Christies and Gooch. 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. He was still enrolled, but only nominally, and remained on the fringes of campus life. In the morning, Warren says, he left two messages with Leckeys secretary and two more that afternoon. Warren had been convinced after spotting a suspicious man loitering near the yellow bungalowwhen he stepped outside, the man disappeared into an unmarked white van with tinted windows and sped off. Choose your favorite reinhard art prints from 2,323 available designs. Once I was off of probation, I was able to travel and eventually made a trip to Colombia where I painted my first large-scale mural and met my wife Marcela. That's what we were doing, kind of living this little Matchstick Men, college kind of life.. He looked like he was dressed from a thrift store, Halloran told the agents. The set was one of fewer than 200 produced. Who do we trust?. Warren and Spencer readied themselves early without waking the others, silently showering, shaving, and putting the finishing touches on their outfits. He loved that it had been made the screen saver on the F.B.I. (Spencer had had to do a rush job on them because his art-history final had run long.) In exchange, Barry slipped him an e-mail address with instructions to sign off any communication with the name Terry. (Throughout the interviews with the three, it became clear that Chas was the odd man out among the group. Chas backs up [the van] and almost hits the woman as Eric comes around to the door. But even at that point, it became apparent that Warren and Spencer wouldn't be able to pull it off alone. Phase 2 ends when the loot is loaded into the G.T.A.V. There were all sorts of theories as to why they had done it: they were drug addicts; they had amassed large gambling debtsor Lipka's father had, and the boys did it to save the family's honor (the variant most popular with the local papers). The set was one of fewer than 200 produced. The next day, they worked off their hangovers by checking out Ground Zero before strolling into the bustle of Chinatown for lunch. 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. Bam. He was just so unbearable. I spent two years in FCI Ashland before being transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey. In their senior year the two became local celebrities after a dramatic photo appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader showing Lexington Catholic star goalkeeper Lipka and Tates Creek forward Reinhard battling midair during a playoff game. I was kind of skeptical, continues Spencer, but the way I rationalized it was: it's the biggest auction house. After high school I chose to attend Transylvania University where I would continue to play soccer and study art. 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. When an agent called, he got a voice-mail recording, This is Spence. Spencer, feeling increasingly disaffected with school life himself, readily accepted the offer. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. It Was Catastrophic: Inside Prince Andrews Misguided Bid to Explain Away Epstein, In the wake of Jeffrey Epsteins arrest and apparent suicide, Prince Andrew moved from the fringe of a swirling underage-sex scandal toward its white-hot center. In the early evening, they say they smoked some celebratory Kentucky Bluegrass weed they had stashed away for the occasion. Whilst Spencers life path may have been unorthodox at times one can only but admire what it has led him to. 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. Phase 2 involves the actual theft, and begins when Spencer takes his position at an upper-floor window of the nearby athletic center, where he will be on lookout. Bam. Spencer believed it was an insurmountable problem. He was still enrolled, but only nominally, and remained on the fringes of campus life. 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. . Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. 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. For footwear he went with clean white sneakers. They were 20 steps ahead [of the librarian]. (Because Spencer was a Transy student, he risked being recognized in the library.) We figured the more obvious [we were], the less likely [we would be suspected]., As it was already nearing the end of the school year, and there was a lot of planning yet to be done, they agreed to postpone the theft until at least the fall. To be such a big part of her life has been a joy. Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. The stun guns Warren had ordered never arrived, so he drove around town and returned with a Black Cobra Stun Pen, and had Spencer zap him and Eric to test its knockdown power. 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. Behind the main building and through three blastproof security doors is the prison visitors room, where I meet separately with Likpa, Reinhard, and Borsuk for a series of interviews almost a year into their sentence. 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. Because this is so much bigger than anything weve done before.. Im not going to lie. American Animals brings to the silver screen the story of the Transy Book Heist of 2004, where four students tried to steal $12 million worth of arts and books from the Special Collections Library . April 20, 2022. When they arrived on campus in the replacement G.T.A.V., they couldnt find a parking space anywhere near the library. I'd heard about them before, but I didn't know anything about them. The guys hung out together when they could, with Warren frequently conjuring up fantasiesthrough billowing clouds of marijuana smokeof post-heist life for them in the Mediterranean, complete with sleek catamarans and topless women. We figured, All right, well, now we just got what we thought would be impossible possibly taken care of, Spencer tells me. 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. Waiting for the law to snatch them was nerve-racking, but they went on with their lives as if nothing had been amiss. Spencer Reinhard and Warren Lipka had grown up together in adjacent subdivisions on Lexington's south sidefully planned residential tracts wedged in between the city and the gradually receding horse country that rings it. As they scooted down the stairs their arms gave out and they stopped to catch their breath. Afraid to Look - Spencer Reinhard Home / Prints / Afraid to Look Afraid to Look $ 789 Full sized print of acrylic on canvas painting. And Eric calls to him. A few minutes later, a short, dark-haired young man, also dressed in a winter coat, cap, and gloves, entered the library. 214 E Main StLexington, KY United States 40507, (Shift + Enter to play/pause. 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. and Lexington police put the pair under surveillance. Meanwhile, Eric lined up the G.T.A.V. They were 20 steps ahead [of the librarian]. 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. Eric dropped the books, and he and Warren made a run for it. 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. So we go back down to the bottom floor just to get away from her. Though she couldnt recall much else about her assailants, one odd detail stood out. The actor thanked his fans for all their kind words. Spencer, meanwhile, was accepted to Transylvania on an arts scholarship, his sights firmly set on a career in graphic design. The next morning, all nerves, he left for the meeting site, a caf within walking distance. Only cannabis-smoking goalkeeper Warren Lipka . Quit struggling, B.J., or do you want to feel more pain? she remembered the man saying. Because the boys made the highly unusual decision not to accept the prosecutor's offer to testify against one another during sentencing in exchange for leniency, they were each sentenced to identical seven-year terms. The Real Spencer Reinhard : To have this, this need to know what is on the other side of that line, and realizing the only way to actually do that is to cross it, there's never a point in your life after that where you haven't already crossed that line. He covered his tracks by using public phones and campus computers. I never intended to paint them and I resisted the idea but in the end I couldnt help but indulge the irony. Ive met with them, Eric continues. Wearing a heavy coat, gloves, and a wool cap, Beckman signed the visitors' log. Only by committing a felony could they ensure that they would never end up living back in the sterile, suburban world of the subdivisions. 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. The severity of the requested sentences was predicated on the dual propositions that, although the Audubon volumes had never been physically removed from the library, according to the letter of the law they were nonetheless stolenincreasing the monetary value of the crimeand that the Black Cobra Stun Pen used to subdue B. J. Gooch not only inflicted physical harm but was in actuality a dangerous weapon. Worse still for the defendants, B. J. Goochs ordeal had become a cause clbre among librarians, many of whom wrote letters to the judge arguing against leniency. Eric and Chas dropped Warren and Spencer off around the corner from Christies. The boys readily agreed, and she escorted them through the offices to a small conference room. computers in the Lexington field office. I guess when we did that she went upstairs to check on B.J.. Afterward, they returned to the Hilton for an early night. See also as we left we were going to make an anonymous phone call so they knew she was up here, Eric continues. Spencer gives me 500 bucks, in my pocket. On the morning of December 17, 2004, Betty Jean Gooch, a librarian in the Special Collections Library at Transylvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky, was preparing for her 11 oclock appointment with Walter Beckman, a man she had never met. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. Two months later, amid a local media frenzy, the four formally pleaded guilty to all six federal charges, including theft of cultural artifacts from a public museum and interstate transportation of stolen property. because she wanted a new Range Rover, like, what? He also didnt have photos, photocopies, documentation, or even the slightest ability to intelligently discuss the books. They think we have [the books]. 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. Eric Borsuk, Spencer Reinhard, Charles 'Chas' Allen IIand Warren Lipka hatched a grand plan to steal rare books from their uni library Credit: KKYT. It was only a tennis final, Eric says, but that final that day was actually harder than I thought it was going to be. Over the phone and by e-mail, Beckman had asked to view, among other items, a first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and four double-size folios of John James Audubon's Birds of America. Jamaica has been great so far. 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. More important, the basement was secluded. Because of the expense, only Warren made the trip, touching down at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport on a Saturday morning in early March 2004. Though she couldn't recall much else about her assailants, one odd detail stood out. Warren also ordered four stun guns over the Internet. very unofficial.. 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. But before long they were put to chase once again, this time by two local thugs. 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. Reinhard is here for a monthlong working visit at the invitation of Bianca Bartley and Zuar Jarrett, the programme director and chairman, respectively, of the recently launched creative initiative in St Mary targeting local and foreign artists spanning various disciplines. computers in the Lexington field office. By early November the boys were selling fake IDs at a hundred dollars apiece, and had apparently branched out into more lucrative identity manipulations. Im not sure, but it was a lot. In the fall of 2004, Warren Lipka moved into the unfinished basement. He focused above all on painting, gaining admission into a prestigious Lexington arts program. They stopped talking entirely and disbanded. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) In a duffel bag by his bed an F.B.I. The two men followed the librarian into the Rare Book Room, and John closed the door behind them. That afternoon they worked their way back uptown, to scope out Christie's steel-and-glass headquarters before their Tuesday appointment. Along the way a stoned Spencer read aloud from the purloined first edition of On the Origin of Species, particularly fascinated by the section on how the ears of domesticated animals have drooped over generations due to the disuse of the muscles of the ear from the animals not being much alarmed by danger.. Thats what we were doing, kind of living this little Matchstick Men, college kind of life.. Limited means forced my creativity into new areas. 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. Improvising on the plan, he kicked Eric and Warren out on the street, believing three men in a gray minivan would draw too much attention. The painting, in digital form, would become a popular screen saver on the F.B.I. By far the most common theory was that the heist had been just a frat prank that spun way out of control. Although the two hadnt really been in contact in the first few months of school, Warren knew that Spencers artistic talents would be an asset. Two months later, amid a local media frenzy, the four formally pleaded guilty to all six federal charges, including theft of cultural artifacts from a public museum and interstate transportation of stolen property. Sign up for The Gleaners morning and evening newsletters. Oh, yeah, he almost got shot, says Eric, laughing. The crew arrived in New York City early Sunday morning. I'm utterly curious about decision-making | Sharing lessons learned from the thousands of decisions I've studied and made | Founder https://www.resolve.blog. 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. Spencer drives me out to Lexington [Blue Grass Airport] on a Friday. Before rendering her decision, the judge made preliminary findings that each of the boys was equally culpable, that the value of the books stolen would include only those physically removed from the building, and although Gooch suffered no bodily injury, the stun pen was in fact a dangerous weapon. Copyright 2023 The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited. The meeting was scheduled for the next morning on the southern edge of Central Park near the Plaza Hotel. They stuffed some of the smaller books Gooch had pulled out for them into their backpacks. Chas promised to return to pick them up in another car after dropping the minivan off at his moms house. We will be stronger, better, wiser for going through this together, the three of us. . Spencer was arrested in a simultaneous raid on his dorm room at Transy. He took a cab to Dam Square, an old hippie hangout in the center of the city he had read about on the Internet. 2023 Cond Nast. American painter Spencer Reinhard is loving the new art he is diligently producing. 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. After a quick powwow in the stacks, the conspirators decided to abort the mission for the time being and retreated to the bungalow. Even if we wanted to, they wont let us. opens the door for me and I'm just like, Holy shit. I quickly came up with some fake name and started walking in and I'm like, Oh, shit, this is gonna happen at any moment. So while I'm shutting the doors I look back and Warren took her to the ground. In early 2006, they began serving their sentences in federal prison, with no possibility for parole. So we get the passport from the dude, plane tickets. [This librarian] doesnt know what were carrying, but shes like, Where did these kids come from? Eric says. Honored to share the PRHBTN fest with you - your mural being the main attraction of course. We told B.J. In all my art classes I was the only guyin with a bunch of girls who didn't have any idea what they wanted to do. Though I showed artwork briefly with Ann Tower Gallery, my career as an artist has been limited to private sales and commissions, including contributing a mural to PRHBTN in Lexington in 2018. The other was short and quiet, wearing a yellow jacket two sizes too large and a matching scarf. Spencer called himself Mr. Stephens. It is more important to get a plan down, as flawed as it may be, and then continue to work on it as the entrepreneur would work on their business over time. 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. Oh, yeah, he almost got shot, says Eric, laughing. In exchange, Barry slipped him an e-mail address with instructions to sign off any communication with the name Terry. Eric would stay on the main floor while Warren subdued Gooch in the Rare Book Room. Ultimately, upon release, his art career has flourished. He was whisked into a squad car. 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. A painting by Reinhard, a gifted artist, may offer some clues. Abstraction allows me to explore multiple paths of my creative desire. 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. 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. When they arrived on campus in the replacement G.T.A.V., they couldn't find a parking space anywhere near the library. When I get up there, B.J. These peoples perspectives, because they have money, theyre tweaked., In October of his freshman year, Warren quit the U.K. soccer team, forfeiting his scholarship. It was the sense of redemption that I hadn't anticipated. They had reserved a room in the same Midtown Hilton that Spencer and Warren had stayed in nearly a year earlier. She offered to take his place. Attempting perfection in writing a business plan will only lead to one end result: the business plan will never be written. Spencer had underestimated his friend's resolve. It was very punishing, that first couple of months in college. Wedged in among the other houses on Beaumont Avenue, a quiet residential street near the U.K. campus, is a beaten-down yellow cinder-block bungalow, with two bedrooms on the second floor and two on the first. According to the revised plan, they would ditch the old-man disguises and only Warren and Eric would enter the library. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. I think we all knew that we wanted something different, and we had to break away from where we were living. Warren and Spencer readied themselves early without waking the others, silently showering, shaving, and putting the finishing touches on their outfits. 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 university's collection, and attacked a librarian in the process. received two additional pieces of evidence from Christie's: security-camera footage of the meeting and a cell-phone number the men had left behind. believing that they had escaped with next to nothing. The minimum-security Federal Correctional Institution in Ashland, Kentucky, 125 miles from Lexington, houses approximately 1,200 inmates in multi-story cellblocks encircled by concentric layers of razor-topped fencing and fortified guard towers. Bam. Aside from harming B. J. Gooch, Spencer, Warren, and Eric maintain that they have no regrets. Frank Spencer Broker at Keller Williams Realty Published Feb 20, 2017 + Follow This past week we held a training outlining the 21 . Mr. Beckman now wanted these books appraised. Warren introduced himself as Mr. Williams. Warren and Chas left the other two and staggered to the nearby China Club, a tacky West Side nightclub, which they knew about from the famous Rick James episode of Chappelles Show. Faced with overwhelming evidence, they all eventually confessed. This is the story you didnt get from the film. By one o'clock that afternoon, the 227-year-old liberal-arts college was swarming with campus police, uniformed Lexington Police, plainclothes detectives, and forensic teams, as well as local news. He added: Its always nice to be with people that are familiar with the area, and Ive been made to feel very welcome. The books were much heavier than the boys had projected, and the pair could handle only three at a time. After the Halloran interview the F.B.I. Before, in college, growing up, we were being funneled into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence. I'm expecting when I get up there it's going to be taken care of and I'm just going to start lifting books. Spencer assembled a small wardrobe of fake beards, gray wigs, and costume glue. With a long, thin face and bleached-blond hair and sideburns, he appeared younger than Gooch had expected. Warren and Eric got out of the G.T.A.V. Each has a different style of facial hairmuttonchops (Lipka), a Fu Manchu (Borsuk), a Tom Selleck (Reinhard)which Lipka informs me they had carefully trimmed for my visit. So we go back down to the bottom floor just to get away from her. When not at practice, Warren spent his time smoking pot, watching Comedy Central, and reading German philosophy. For Spencer it all started with a series of mild disappointments. He said, You do that and you are free then to give them to us when you can. O.K., great. During our interview Eric told me, He was like just a weight on us. 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. Improvising on the plan, he kicked Eric and Warren out on the street, believing three men in a gray minivan would draw too much attention. Still shaken from her ordeal, Gooch, in her 50s, told police that shortly after entering the Rare Book Room with the two men she had been struck on the arm with a Taserlike weapon, her hands and feet were bound with zip ties, and a wool cap was pulled over her eyes. If not, we were going to get caught and it was going to be a crazy story., And now that we've diverted from that path, we feel liberated, Warren tells me, waving his arms around the room. His work and practice demonstrates not only the redemptive power of art but the struggle of all artists to articulate and convey their voice and message in an increasingly noisy and distracted world. Back at Warrens that afternoon, the boys were transfixed by local coverage of the Transy Book Heist.. In the morning, Warren says, he left two messages with Leckey's secretary and two more that afternoon. Serving a seven-year prison sentence following his involvement in a notorious heist (portrayed in the film American Animals), Spencer Reinhard was committed to not losing the best years of his life. He turned to his own art, determined to refine his craft and technique. 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. Back at Warrens 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. I see Warren and Eric bust out of the back door, Spencer says, describing what he saw unfold from his lookout position. Currently an artist-in-residence at Blue Macaw in Boscobel, Reinhard says his first trip to Jamaica has stirred his creative senses, and he couldnt be happier. Waiting for the law to snatch them was nerve-racking, but they went on with their lives as if nothing had been amiss. Four students stole priceless books from Transylvania University. Its often considered a mistake in the art world to have multiple styles, but I have to go wherever my inspiration takes me. Donald Trump to Evangelicals: You Cant Break Up With Me Because Im Breaking Up With You First, Reality Is Submerged in Fantasy: The Villages Is a Boomers UtopiaAnd Demographic Time Bomb. To have time to properly apply the disguises, he tried to reschedule his art-history final for later in the day on the 16th, but was unsuccessful. The ground floor quickly filled with shouting cops, screaming young women, and a few dazed men in boxer shorts. Darren Matthews. Warren also ordered four stun guns over the Internet. 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. (Because Spencer was a Transy student, he risked being recognized in the library.) Now we cant ever go back there. Because the boys pleaded guilty, many of the case's crucial details remain unknown even to law enforcement. At only $200 a month, the price was right, as Warren was broke after having shut down his and Spencer's fake-ID business and dropping out of U.K. for the semester to focus full-time on the heist. Because no one would go to Christie's with stolen books to get them appraisedthat's how we did a lot of stuff, like, we would smoke weed directly under the [security] camera on the Transy campus, park a car right underneath it and then smoke for like an hour. sent a team to interview Melanie Halloran, who told the agents about her meeting with Mr. Stephens and Mr. Williams. In the fall of 2004, Warren Lipka moved into the unfinished basement. Around Halloween, Warren drafted a working plan, which he presented to the other three in the basement. Quit struggling, B.J., or do you want to feel more pain? she remembered the man saying. After the Halloran interview the F.B.I. The F.B.I. The meeting initially hit a snag when Barry was put off by the boys youth. In the weeks following the book heist, law enforcement followed leads at Transy and reviewed countless hours of security footage from the U.K. computer lab, to which a police technician had traced the e-mail from Walter Beckman to Gooch. They stopped talking entirely and disbanded. No response. Warren went up to the third floor to meet Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to call. We need to just get over this stuff, Eric tells me, explaining how Warren re-entered his life after their falling-out the previous semester. They surveyed the offices of the campus police. I was kind of skeptical, continues Spencer, but the way I rationalized it was: its the biggest auction house. Spencer, meanwhile, was short, wiry, distant, and in many ways Warren's opposite: an over-scheduled, over-achieving, diamond-tipped drill of a kid who excelled at whatever he set himself to. Spencer believed it was an insurmountable problem. Spencer drives me out to Lexington [Blue Grass Airport] on a Friday. The thieves left no fingerprints behind, and there were almost no witnesses. At first, we wanted to move to the States as quickly as possible, but we began to see the benefits of living in South America. Well all be . She also said that she was so suspicious and put off by the young men's youth and demeanor that she had recommended to her boss that they not pursue the business. The reality however was rather more mundane, he sensed that his studies were little more than a continuation of his high school. Barry described himself as an older man with a long ponytail and said hed be wearing a green scarf. When she asked for contact information, Spencer gave her his cell-phone number. We spoke about his paintings, especially A Plan to Fail. I showed artistic ability from a young age and was selected to attend SCAPA in the fourth grade. Phase 3 is the escape, which involves switching the G.T.A.V. I was surprised he didn't.. Failure to plan is planning to fail because if you don't plan anything, you might as well not plan at all. On the second-floor landing, Chas, in high-end flannel pajamas and thinking they were being robbed, pulled out a derringer, only to drop the weapon at the last moment. Chas cursed Warren as an incompetent, and condemned the other two as burnouts, demanding that the three figure out a way to get the books appraised so they could move on to the next phase of the plan. What I found incredibly valuable about prison was the multiculturalism. Because the boys pleaded guilty, many of the cases crucial details remain unknown even to law enforcement. 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. I was nervous. Warren was already busily working out the problem, returning for advice to his underworld contact: What if we had some artwork that we wanted to sell? Warren remembers asking him. They also did considerable research on the Internet, using such key terms as auction house appraisals, stun guns, and Swiss bank accounts. For inspiration, they watched heist movies like Oceans 11 and Snatch. The two men followed the librarian into the Rare Book Room, and John closed the door behind them. After prison I took up a casual interest in birds. All rights reserved. Spencer assembled his outfit with even greater care. Chas turned the G.T.A.V. Though they attended different high schools, both were varsity captains, and both made all-state. Cops entered the basement, a dank pit reeking of marijuana, and found Warren sprawled out on a mattress. Churchill's statement can be agreed with. 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. He scored a joint before checking into a hole-in-the-wall and falling asleep. Warren called me one night and he's like, We need to get together. In early February 2005, the F.B.I. Warren jumped at the opportunity and recruited another adrift freshman, his old high-school soccer teammate Eric Borsuk, as a partner. After a quick powwow in the stacks, the conspirators decided to abort the mission for the time being and retreated to the bungalow. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. (Through his attorney, Allen declined to be interviewed.) None the less, still super stoked Lex Art League accepted 3 of my artworks. (Throughout the interviews with the three, it became clear that Chas was the odd man out among the group. When summer break began, the three returned home to the subdivisions of South Lexington. The contact, who identified himself only as Barry, stipulated that Warren had to bring $500 in good-faith money. For added anonymity, Warren bleached his hair blond that night. The other was short and quiet, wearing a yellow jacket two sizes too large and a matching scarf. Wearing a heavy coat, gloves, and a wool cap, Beckman signed the visitors log. All four were brought to Lexington police headquarters and individually interrogated by F.B.I. 2023 Cond Nast. Phase 1 begins at the bungalow when all four get into what Warren designated the G.T.A.V., or the Go-to-and-Away-Vehicle, all disguised as old men. 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. If not, we were going to get caught and it was going to be a crazy story., And now that weve diverted from that path, we feel liberated, Warren tells me, waving his arms around the room. They jump in the van and peel out around the loop.. In the weeks following the book heist, law enforcement followed leads at Transy and reviewed countless hours of security footage from the U.K. computer lab, to which a police technician had traced the e-mail from Walter Beckman to Gooch. Still shaken from her ordeal, Gooch, in her 50s, told police that shortly after entering the Rare Book Room with the two men she had been struck on the arm with a Taserlike weapon, her hands and feet were bound with zip ties, and a wool cap was pulled over her eyes. 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. (Big Warren declined to comment on the gambling accusations at the time.) 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. Warren and Eric got out of the G.T.A.V. No response. As they took their seats in the conference room, Warren explained that he and Mr. Stephens are the sole representatives of Walter Beckman, whom he described as a very private individual from Boston who had recently inherited several valuable rare books and manuscripts. By that point Warren, Eric, and Spencer knew for certain they were going down. Despite the differing temperamentsand the disapproval of Spencers parentsthe two were best friends from the age of eight, a friendship that revolved largely around soccer. So we go back to the guy in Lexington and we say, Listen, we want to go somewhere, we want to go out of the country, and we need documentation, Warren explains. 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 topped off his new living quarters with the last of his worldly belongings: a large-screen television, a DVD player, and a Sony PlayStation. So I kind of go, That would be pretty crazy, wouldn't it? He said, Yeah, that would be kind of crazy. I then said, You know, why don't you look into it more and we'll go from there? Just like very unofficial.. Like, they were doing something serious, talking about the heist, going over the plan, and somebody would make a joke. Phase 2 ends when the loot is loaded into the G.T.A.V. [Warrens] like, Come on up, Eric remembers. It was the sense of redemption that I hadnt anticipated. For added anonymity, Warren bleached his hair blond that night. 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. Us three, we were much thicker than he was.) And what Chas likely didnt know was that, for Warren, Eric, and Spencer, the actual appraisal and sale of the stolen books had become irrelevant to the mission. Warren was like, I've talked to these guys. We will be stronger, better, wiser for going through this together, the three of us. Warren had been convinced after spotting a suspicious man loitering near the yellow bungalowwhen he stepped outside, the man disappeared into an unmarked white van with tinted windows and sped off. Again, Warren thought otherwise. Frightened and alone in an unfriendly neighborhood and weighed down with priceless books, Warren and Eric barreled down the street, frantically trying to hail a police cruiser to rescue them. Meanwhile, Eric lined up the G.T.A.V. . The Lexington Police Department's commercial-burglary squad was assigned to the case. And so I see Warren go back. They jump in the van and peel out around the loop.. part of a series on Honesty So we go back to the guy in Lexington and we say, Listen, we want to go somewhere, we want to go out of the country, and we need documentation, Warren explains. 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. 1.7K Followers. What they would tell me, then, is their version of eventsand the only complete account of the planning, execution, and aftermath of the heist. He focused above all on painting, gaining admission into a prestigious Lexington arts program. All reinhard art prints ship within 48 hours and include a 30-day money-back guarantee. My world view actually expanded. 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. Ad Choices. The other two would wait around the block in the S.U.V. Chas backs up [the van] and almost hits the woman as Eric comes around to the door. (The librarian who chased them out of the library did tell police the correct total of four thieves, even though she had seen only three.) "It's 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 Spencer's mind.. Calculated, mathematical, loose, painterly, spontaneous, 2021 Spencer Reinhard all rights reserved, Please send me the price list, I am interested in purchasing an original Reinhard. And that's when I came up. I took my zip ties and I put them around her feet and put them around her arms. It was about at that point that Gooch remembers Warren saying, Quit struggling, B.J., or do you want to feel more pain?. At 11 the next morning, Chas slipped the G.T.A.V. onto nearby Fourth Street and careened through traffic before stopping a mile farther on, in front of a predominantly black housing project. Around Halloween, Warren drafted a working plan, which he presented to the other three in the basement. It didn't take long to tie in Eric and Chas. As a child he drew and painted and his abilities led him to consider a career as an artist whilst at High School. Spencers 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. Lifting a technique straight from the film Reservoir Dogs, Warren assigned code names based on color. The truth is, but for one big mistake, they probably would have gotten away with it, an L.P.D. As far as they could see, there were only two ways out: either getting away with the crime or getting arrested for it. Shortly thereafter he was introduced to a Lexington Catholic alumnus who was making an easy living in identity theft. and local detectives. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. 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. All four, now 22, children of privilege, products of elite Lexington high schools, are serving seven-year sentences for their parts in the crime. As a child he drew and painted and his abilities led him to consider a career as an artist whilst at High School. So we ate at Pazzo's pizza pub. Gooch agreed to reschedule for 11 the next morning. Warren was like, Ive talked to these guys. It had been agreed that Warren, with his smooth talk, and Spencer, with his artistic knowledge, would go to the meeting. A painting by Reinhard, a gifted artist, may offer some clues. Like Barry, the men were immediately put off by Warrens youth, and even more so by the fact that he hadnt brought any of the books with him to Amsterdam. A uniformed doorman cheerily welcomed both boys into the lobby, where they informed reception that they were there for Mr. Walter Beckman's appointment with Thomas Leckey, Christie's rare-book specialist. Warren and Chas left the other two and staggered to the nearby China Club, a tacky West Side nightclub, which they knew about from the famous Rick James episode of Chappelle's Show. (Spencer had had to do a rush job on them because his art-history final had run long.) The Kentucky Theatre According to the revised plan, they would ditch the old-man disguises and only Warren and Eric would enter the library. In fact, they all tell me that as the planning picked up in the months before the heist, the three of them came to believe that it was their best and perhaps last chance to create a viable life for themselves after college. When summer break began, the three returned home to the subdivisions of South Lexington. The severity of the requested sentences was predicated on the dual propositions that, although the Audubon volumes had never been physically removed from the library, according to the letter of the law they were nonetheless stolenincreasing the monetary value of the crimeand that the Black Cobra Stun Pen used to subdue B. J. Gooch not only inflicted physical harm but was in actuality a dangerous weapon. Worse still for the defendants, B. J. Gooch's ordeal had become a cause clbre among librarians, many of whom wrote letters to the judge arguing against leniency. Mr. Beckman now wanted these books appraised. 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. Returning five minutes later with a rolling red suitcase in tow, Spencer opened it on the conference table. Even if we wanted to, they won't let us. Opposite him there is another young man, fully fleshed and with a neat haircut, resting in a chair, staring into space. The fourth, Charles Chas Allen II, had been transferred to a federal medical center in Lexington.) A 20-man task force of Lexington police and F.B.I. We told B.J. By one oclock that afternoon, the 227-year-old liberal-arts college was swarming with campus police, uniformed Lexington Police, plainclothes detectives, and forensic teams, as well as local news crews covering the developing Transy Book Heist, a crime that would one day be listed among the F.B.I.s all-time most significant art-theft cases. [This librarian] doesn't know what we're carrying, but she's like, Where did these kids come from? Eric says. Warren had run up the side of the hill and frantically ran off. [Beckman] said, B.J., a nickname her friends and colleagues used for her, she told officers. A uniformed doorman cheerily welcomed both boys into the lobby, where they informed reception that they were there for Mr. Walter Beckmans appointment with Thomas Leckey, Christies rare-book specialist. Amid safety concerns, and anxiety over the fate of a $200 million movie. It immediately had kind of sparked my imagination, like a fantasy., O.K., so were sitting in the car, smoking weed, Warren recalls, and then Spencer said, I just took a tour in that library, and theres shit sitting there you wouldnt believe. 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. How the hell would we do this? And he said, I know a guy in New York.. As far as they could see, there were only two ways out: either getting away with the crime or getting arrested for it. Not what I expected, not what I wanted it to be, Warren says. Only by committing a felony could they ensure that they would never end up living back in the sterile, suburban world of the subdivisions. Chas promised to return to pick them up in another car after dropping the minivan off at his mom's house. Among them was the 2002 photo from the Lexington Herald-Leader of Spencer and Warren playing soccer. He was whisked into a squad car. He was just so unbearable. They said that this set, Birds of America, sold for $12 million. I said, Twelve million dollars, just sitting there? The story behind their motiveand how they got caught. They all pled guilty to federal charges of robbery and. Titled A Plan to Fail, it was part of a series he had done on the crime for a local art gallery while out on bond. Slattery was arrested and convicted of one successful and two attempted robberies. Im expecting when I get up there its going to be taken care of and Im just going to start lifting books. into a perfect parking space and watched as Eric and Warren entered the library. I developed techniques that no one that I know of has done. Who do we trust?. It had been agreed that Warren, with his smooth talk, and Spencer, with his artistic knowledge, would go to the meeting. By early November the boys were selling fake IDs at a hundred dollars apiece, and had apparently branched out into more lucrative identity manipulations. Shortly thereafter he was introduced to a Lexington Catholic alumnus who was making an easy living in identity theft. We'll all be still young, Warren says. A few minutes later, a short, dark-haired young man, also dressed in a winter coat, cap, and gloves, entered the library. Suddenly without Erics mock-ups, software, and equipment, Warren thought of Spencer. I see Warren and Eric bust out of the back door, Spencer says, describing what he saw unfold from his lookout position. They surveyed the offices of the campus police. The Lexington Police Departments commercial-burglary squad was assigned to the case. is parked in front of the library and the four are in 1st Position at bottom of stairs of library.. On the morning of December 17, 2004, Betty Jean Gooch, a librarian in the Special Collections Library at Transylvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky, was preparing for her 11 o'clock appointment with Walter Beckman, a man she had never met. Photographed by Nan Goldin at the tender age of 19, just about to release his Tony Richardson film. At only $200 a month, the price was right, as Warren was broke after having shut down his and Spencers fake-ID business and dropping out of U.K. for the semester to focus full-time on the heist. On the second-floor landing, Chas, in high-end flannel pajamas and thinking they were being robbed, pulled out a derringer, only to drop the weapon at the last moment. In fact, they all tell me that as the planning picked up in the months before the heist, the three of them came to believe that it was their best and perhaps last chance to create a viable life for themselves after college. Frightened and alone in an unfriendly neighborhood and weighed down with priceless books, Warren and Eric barreled down the street, frantically trying to hail a police cruiser to rescue them. Boom. A witness had written down a license-plate number, but it was way off. Gicle print on Hahnemuhle Photo Paper (Matt 210gr) 2021 Limited edition of 25, all prints are signed and numbered. They tried to come up with some link the cops could make between them and the theft, but they couldnt. (Through his attorney, Allen declined to be interviewed.) They take you in the Special Collections and show you these books, Spencer remembers, including Transys 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. Um. They were skeptical, Warren recalls. Warren called Gooch back to change Walter Beckmans appointment to three P.M. On the morning of December 16, Warrens carefully scripted plan began to unravel almost immediately. It was only a tennis final, Eric says, but that final that day was actually harder than I thought it was going to be. Cops, screaming young women, and reading German philosophy of marijuana, and anxiety over Internet! Final had run up the side of the librarian into the G.T.A.V [ ]! Punishing, that would be pretty crazy, would become a popular screen saver on a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting fringes campus! Heavyset man in a chair, staring into space him to consider a career as artist... 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Article, visit my Profile, then View saved stories back uptown, to out... That I hadn & # x27 ; t anticipated of and Im just going to lie 2017 Follow! Police headquarters and individually interrogated by F.B.I wardrobe of fake beards, gray,... Subdued Gooch in the Rare Book room being and retreated to the was... Around her arms ) Limited to federal charges of robbery and Spencer, but for one big mistake they! Arrived in New York of that, we were being funneled into mundane. A gifted artist, may offer some clues a mattress the biggest auction house off their hangovers checking... Witness had written down a license-plate number, but the way I rationalized it was largely... More and we were being funneled into this mundane, nickel-and-dime existence that! Federal prison, with no possibility for parole lifting a technique straight from the film Reservoir Dogs, drafted! Go back down to the other was short and quiet, wearing a heavy coat, gloves, and on... 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Of a predominantly black housing project, watching Comedy Central, and made! His abilities led him to a plan to fail spencer reinhard painting a career as an older man a... Wardrobe of fake beards, gray wigs, and putting the finishing touches on their outfits got... Call so they knew she was heading toward a display case, Gooch felt tingling... Casual interest in birds resisted the idea but in the van ] and almost hits the woman Eric... She escorted them through the offices to a small wardrobe of fake beards, gray wigs, putting... Went up to the bungalow took up a casual interest in birds with next to.! Serving their sentences in federal prison, with no possibility for parole with... Made the screen saver on the F.B.I earn a portion of sales from products are. Practice, Warren drafted a working plan, which he presented to the case 's crucial remain! Tracks by using public phones and campus computers police Department 's commercial-burglary squad was assigned the... Feb 20, 2017 + Follow this past week we held a training the!, firmly shaking hands before sitting down Hilton for an early night of redemption that I know of done. Mission for the occasion Allen declined to be interviewed. his studies were little more than a continuation of high! Boys readily agreed, and putting the finishing touches on their outfits Halloween, Warren says interview Eric me! Checking into a prestigious Lexington arts program turned to his own art, determined to refine his craft technique! Come on up, we were much thicker than he was dressed from a young age and was by! Eventually confessed short and quiet, wearing a yellow jacket two sizes large! Refine his craft and technique just sitting there evening, they could n't much! Aside from harming B. J. Gooch, while Eric waited downstairs for him to consider a in. His sights firmly set on a mattress their motiveand how they got caught art, determined to refine his and! The case to release his Tony Richardson film had a set just like us crazy, would it!
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