Chapter 303 Showdown
The next morning.
Police Detective Agency.
Perhaps because of the relaxation in the hot spring, Luke woke up this morning feeling refreshed.
At 9:5 in the morning, Luke walked out of the office with a cup of tea, "Guys, get ready for a meeting."
The deputy team asked, "Has Marcus asked for leave?"
Luke said, "Don't worry about him, he should be looking for news outside.
Everyone, tell us about your investigation. "
Matthew said, "I checked the road surveillance around the bank, used road surveillance to track the traces of the suspect vehicle before committing the crime, and finally found a block without surveillance cameras.
To be precise, there is no road monitoring in the nearby blocks, and it is difficult to continue to track the source through monitoring. "
Luke scratched in his notebook, "Where are the others?"
Raymond said, "We retrieved recent vehicle theft records from the police system, and three of them matched the brand, model, and color of the suspect vehicle. After careful comparison, the situation described by one of the owners was consistent with The suspect vehicle basically matches.
For example, car scratches, car interior decoration, etc. "
Luke asked, "Is the owner of the car suspect?"
Raymond said, "We just communicated on the phone, and I made an appointment with him to take notes this morning."
"Very good." Regardless of whether the owner is suspected or not, it can provide some valuable clues.
If the car owner is also involved in the bank robbery, just follow the clues and investigate.
If the car owner did not participate in the bank robbery, but the car was stolen, he can also know the specific time and place of the car being stolen.
The deputy team asked, "How is the situation on the FBI side?"
"Not very well, an FBI agent was killed on the spot, several agents were injured, Anthony himself was also injured, the FBI turned the case over to the LAPD.
The police station handed over the case to our first squadron for investigation. "
The deputy team said, "It doesn't sound like a good job, maybe we might be bombed too."
Luke asked, "Should I say no?"
The deputy team analyzed, "The police station handed over the case to us for investigation not only because we participated in the initial investigation of the bank robbery, but also because it represented trust in the No. 1 Squadron.
If we refuse at this time, it will be tantamount to failing the trust of the police department.
Naturally, it has no effect on an old man like me who is about to retire, but for you and other team members...
will definitely be labeled as distrustful by the police.
How to choose, you choose. "
At this time, Luke naturally couldn't back down, and changed the topic, "The fact that the FBI was injured in the bombing made the suspicion of Jeran Gaddafi even more solid.
Currently, the whereabouts of this person is still unknown, and the mobile phone is lost. I am going to apply for a warrant for him.
Deputy team, Matthew, let's investigate his surrounding relationship. "
Luke put a piece of information on the projector, "Finally, let's summarize the losses of this bank robbery. 76 private lockers were stolen from the bank vault, most of which were some precious gold and silver jewelry.
In addition, according to the bank manager, another 12.7 million dollars were stolen from the vault. "
Luke went back to his desk and picked up his calculator, "I tested it last night, 100 hundred dollar bills are 0.2314854 pounds in dollars, and $12.7 million is about 294 pounds.
There were five suspects, and the average weight of each person was about 60 pounds. In addition to the equipment on the robbers and the belongings in the locker, it is roughly estimated that the average weight of the robbers may exceed 100 pounds. "
The deputy team frowned, "It's too heavy.
Even if the robbers were strong enough, it would be difficult for them to walk fast with such heavy items on their backs. Moreover, their escape route was the sewer, and the environment inside was even harsher, which also increased the difficulty of escaping.
I guess there may be other accomplices in the sewer. "
Luke said, "The deputy team's guess is reasonable.
But according to the FBI agent in charge of tracking, no trace of other suspects was found, so whether there are responders still needs to be questioned. "
Jackson asked back, "But if no one responded, how could they take away so much cash and property?"
Luke said, "It is also possible that the robbers did not take as much property as expected."
Jackson said, "Do you think the suspect may have hidden money and property somewhere inside the bank?"
Luke nodded, "This situation is also possible, but it will be more difficult to escape the police's search."
The deputy team felt that there was something in Luke's words, and guessed, "It's also possible that the bank lied, and the property lost was not that much.
Even the bank robbery was directed and acted by them! "
…
Ten o'clock in the morning.
Robbery and Murder Division Lounge.
Luke summons bank manager Potobai Frick to the police station to make a statement.
Portobai Flick seemed a little nervous that he didn't expect to be questioned by the police again so soon.
"Captain Luke, haven't I already made a record? Why do I need to make another record."
"I was robbed just yesterday. You were nervous and might have forgotten some clues. After yesterday's investigation, we found some new clues and evidence. I would like you to come over and check."
Botobai Flick asked, "Have you caught the robber?"
"Yes, we found one of the suspects, Jeran Gaddafi, by investigating the customers of the bank locker. The police have successfully arrested him yesterday morning." Luke said while staring at the other party's Looking at the expression, I found that the other party showed a flustered look.
Yesterday, Luke also made a statement for Portobai Frick, but a robbery had just happened at that time. As the victim, Portobai Frick had been in a state of panic. Even if he lied at the time, it was ugly come out.
"Great, finally caught." Portobai Flick tried his best to look happy, "Have you found the cash and property lost in our bank?"
"We found it, but only part of it, and the rest are in the hands of other accomplices. The police have issued a wanted warrant, and I believe they will be arrested soon." There was no abnormality on Luke's face when he told the lie.
This is not just a matter of experience, the key is that what he said was aboveboard and what he said was justified.
"Captain Luke, thank you so much.
Yesterday’s robbery caused our bank to face huge losses. It is of great significance to our bank to recover the robbed property. "
Luke asked, "You should have insurance, even if you are robbed, the insurance company will compensate you."
Botoby Flick sighed, "The insurance company is smart, and the compensation has a limit. Take the customer's locker as an example, the limit of compensation for each locker is 50,000 US dollars.
Even if the crown of the British king is in the locker, they will only compensate 50,000 US dollars, and other losses can only be borne by the customer. "
Luke thought of his gold coins and asked, "Is the compensation limit the same for every bank?"
Portobai Frick explained, "This is not necessarily the case, it is just the majority.
There are also a small number of bank lockers with higher compensation, but the rent will also be more expensive. "
The gold coins obtained by Luke from his treasure hunt are worth more than 50,000 U.S. dollars. If he wants to deposit them in a bank locker, he needs to find someone with a higher compensation amount, so he feels at ease.
Luke changed his mind and asked about the case again, "Is there an upper limit for your bank to be robbed by the insurance company?"
"Yes, but not on the same contract as customer lockers."
"Then the bank was robbed this time, how much compensation can you get from the insurance company?"
"It's hard to say, it depends on how much cash your police station can recover, and the insurance company will make up the difference."
"Is there a compensation cap?"
"some."
"How many?"
"Uh..." Portobai Frik frowned, "I can't remember."
Luke saw that the other party was lying, and smiled, "Your bank was robbed yesterday, and you didn't understand the insurance company's compensation terms. You, the manager, are a bit irresponsible."
"You are right, I will have a better understanding when I go back."
"Which insurance company did your bank take out? You should remember this."
"Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation of the United States."
Luke found the number of the insurance company on his mobile phone, and then called directly.
A moment later, a female voice with a curry accent sounded, "Hello, this is the customer service of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation of America, what service do you need?"
"I am the Los Angeles Police Department, Captain Luke Lee of the First Squadron of the Robbery and Murder Division, and I am investigating the North Hollywood bank robbery.
"Sir, can you prove your identity?"
"How do I prove it?"
"Sorry, I haven't encountered a similar situation."
"Miss, please transfer the call to the person in charge of your Los Angeles branch."
"Captain Luke, I haven't encountered this situation before, it may take some time."
"no problem."
The reason why Luke asked the person in charge of the insurance branch to answer the phone has two purposes. The first purpose is to put pressure on Portobai Flick.
As for the other purpose, it is easy to do, and there may be indirect unexpected gains.
A few minutes later, a man's voice rang on the phone, "Hello, I'm Sebroro Zeman, General Manager of the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation of the United States."
Luke said, "I am Luke Lee, Captain of the First Squadron of the Robbery and Murder Division."
"Hi Captain Li, what can I do for you?"
"Did your insurance company provide insurance services to North Hollywood Bank?"
"Yes."
"I'm taking notes for the manager of the Bank of North Hollywood. I talked about the upper limit of your insurance company's insurance limit. Portobai Frick said he couldn't remember clearly, so I want to consult you."
"Yes, I have been paying attention to this matter. I checked the relevant insurance contract yesterday. If the bank is not at fault, the upper limit of insurance for the customer's locker is 50,000 US dollars, and the bank's own losses The upper limit is $12 million." Sebroro Zeman seemed to say this data without thinking.
"Thank you, this data will provide a certain basis for our investigation."
"You're welcome, Captain Luke, I want to ask if the police have caught the suspect?"
"Sorry, this is temporarily unavailable."
"The bank of North Hollywood lost $12.7 million in cash?"
"We are verifying, and we will notify your insurance company when the investigation has results."
"Thanks."
Luke hung up the phone and asked, "Is the upper limit of compensation given by the insurance company correct?"
Portobai Flick thought for a while, "It seems...right."
"Then the loss of your bank is not too big. It was robbed of 12.7 million U.S. dollars, and the insurance company paid 12 million U.S. dollars in compensation. This calculation only lost 700,000 U.S. dollars.
Waiting to recover part of the stolen money stolen by the robbers, and maybe not even a cent lost, congratulations. "
Portobai Flick sneered, "I hope so too."
"However, I still have a small problem here." Luke changed the subject and said, "According to the account of the suspect Jeran Gaddafi, they did rob the bank vault, but there was not that much cash in it.
We recovered only a small amount of cash from him. "
Portobai Flick swallowed, "Could it be that he lied and hid the rest of the cash?"
"I thought so too, but he insisted they couldn't walk away with $12.7 million in cash.
I thought about it carefully, and it is indeed difficult. The 12.7 million dollars weighs 294 pounds, plus the belongings and personal equipment in the locker. It is roughly estimated that each robber’s load exceeds 100 pounds.
Do you know what this concept is?
It may be difficult to move an inch in the muddy, narrow, and rugged sewers, let alone escape the pursuit of the FBI.
So... Portobai Flick, let me give you another chance, how much cash was robbed of the bank vault? "
"God, why is this happening? I just went through the robbery yesterday, why do I have to go through this again..." Portobai Flick scratched his hair, showing annoyed look.
Luke persuaded, "You should know that the crime of fraudulent insurance is very serious. Being involved in a huge fraudulent insurance may make you spend the rest of your life in prison."
Portobai Flick just shook his head, still refusing to let go.
Luke continued to press, "I see.
The reason why you don't want to say it is not because of defrauding insurance, but because of a bigger crime.
You are the mastermind behind this robbery, and you planned this bank robbery together with the robbers.
Congratulations, you have your own fixed assets in prison. "
"No, the robbery has nothing to do with me!" Portobai Flick retorted loudly, emotionally, "I...I admit that I lied.
But I was just instructed, this kind of thing is not up to me. "
"Who ordered you?"
"Hogney Klein, President, Bank of North Hollywood."
Luke took the name down and probed again, "So, he planned this bank robbery and then asked you to assist the kidnappers from it."
"No, the bank robbery has nothing to do with me.
After I was rescued by the police and got my phone back, I was able to contact Hogney Klein, who made me lie about the amount of cash stolen from the bank.
I don’t want to do that either, but there’s no way…”
Luke asked, "The insurance company's money is not so easy to cheat, why would Hogny Klein do this?"
Potobai Flick said, "I don't know the specific reason.
But business has been difficult in the past two years, and thousands of banks in the United States have gone bankrupt.
North Hollywood Bank’s operating conditions are also not good, and it is likely to be the next bank to go bankrupt. It is not easy for everyone.
I guess he just wants to use this compensation to give the bank a breather. "
"What about you? Knowing that this is a crime, but still following his orders?"
Potobai Flick sighed softly, "I had just been robbed at the time, and my mind was in a mess.
He suddenly ordered me to do this on the phone, and I didn't even react, I just...obeyed his orders out of habit.
I also have family to support and need this job. "
"Did you have a recording?"
"No."
"Then how do you prove that it was he who instructed you at that time, not you making your own claims."
"We have call logs."
"That can only mean that you have a relationship, and it cannot prove that he ordered you to defraud insurance."
Botobai Frick said, "This kind of thing is not as easy as imagined. The daily flow and deposit and withdrawal of funds in the bank are recorded, and the cash in the vault is also recorded.
I, a bank manager, can't handle it at all. Only the president can clear and modify the records. "
Luke pressed, "What is the actual cash deposit in the bank vault?"
"Nearly five million dollars."
"In other words, you are suspected of defrauding nearly 10 million dollars in insurance." Luke secretly thought, no wonder the insurance company is eager to find the Pinkerton Detective Agency to investigate. The total compensation involved is as high as 17 million dollars, and how much is it to hire a detective? ?
With the first deception, Luke already doesn't believe him.
Who knows if Potobai Flick is evasive.
Soon, Luke took people to Hogney Klein's house, and made a record for him at the first time. Under the identification and confession of Portobai Frick, Hogny Klein admitted Instructing him to exaggerate the fact that he was robbed of cash and defrauded of insurance.
However, Hogney Klein did not admit that he was involved in the robbery, nor did he admit that he was the instigator behind the robbery.
He claimed that he only came up with the idea temporarily in order to reduce the bank's losses after learning that the bank had been robbed.
Afterwards, he also regretted it. Last night he was frightened and worried that he didn't sleep well all night, but it was too late to regret.
Luke recalculated. If there are only about five million dollars in the vault, and there are more than two million dollars in new bills left in the vault, the stolen bills are about 2.5 million dollars, with a total weight of nearly 58 pounds. Each carried over eleven pounds, which was more reasonable.
At the same time, Luke thought of another question.
Although 2.5 million US dollars is a lot, for a bank robbery that takes such a big risk, the amount of robbery is really not that much.
At least, Luke felt that the loss outweighed the gain.
In other words, the purpose of the robbers robbing the bank was not for cash, but the cash was just incidental, or it may be to cover up the real purpose.
Luke guessed that the real target of the robbers was probably the bank's private locker.
The robbers probably got the news in advance that the private locker of the Bank of North Hollywood contained priceless items, so they took the risk to implement this operation.
Luke has another direction of investigation, checking the situation of the private locker again to see if he can find any precious items in it, things that can make the robbers desperate.
As long as you can find the real purpose of the robbers, you can follow the clues to find the clues of the robbers.
(end of this chapter)