Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s something absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that robbery is not a victimless crime, considering those who actually endure it are often left traumatized in more ways than one. This much has actually even been explored in Netflix’s ‘How to Rob a Bank,’ a documentary delving deep into the tale of the most prolific bank robber in the 1990s and his accomplices. Amongst them was Steven “Steve” Paul Meyers (born February 22, 1950), the primary accessory as well as abettor whose criminality spanned not just financial but also personal reasons.
Steve Meyers Willingly Evolved Into a Bank Robber
Although a Southern native, Steve had developed a unique worldview upon having established a great life for himself as a family man plus sculptor by the time the late 1970s rolled around. After all, whether it be to Germany, Norway, or several other nations across the globe, he’d already traveled thousands and thousands of miles to showcase his artistic skills and eye for detail. However, everything soon turned upside down as he went through a bitter divorce, just for his younger brother Kevin Meters’ close friend, Scott Scurlock, to subsequently support him.
According to Steve’s own accounts, Scott had invited him to Washington to work on his treehouse, which he agreed to with open arms since he was looking for a change. However, he could never have imagined that what started out as just him helping someone with a personal project would quickly lead to learning all his criminal secrets, the extent of his drug trade, and his interest in bank robbery. In fact, when Scott – who later went on to earn the moniker of Hollywood – hit his first bank on June 25, 1992, he knew all about it because the latter then almost immediately approached him to be an accomplice.
That’s because Scott had realized he’d be able to manage everything concerning a bank robbery within the establishment himself only if someone could look at the outside forces. That’s when Steve came in – he got the job of surveying ll potential targets, serving as a lookout, and then handling most of the money laundering via gambling so as to ensure they could actually spend their earnings. He did think of quitting following a few robberies only since the small amount they’d managed to secure didn’t make the risk worth it, and so they expanded their reach into the vaults.
Nevertheless, Steve’s job remained the same, all the while he also took care of the extensive, theatrical makeup and prosthetics that served as Scott’s disguise and made him “Hollywood.” They thus hit a total of 18 banks together between 1992 and 1996 – we say 18 instead of the 19 credited to the Hollywood Bandits because he wasn’t involved in the very first. The reason he agreed to do so easily was because he trusted Scott, didn’t really care for the soci-capitalistic nature of the world, and needed a change from his life – he lived in the small house near Scott’s 20-acre estate.
But alas, as the years passed, Steve began noticing the anxieties, behavioral changes, and stress in Scott, driving the latter to immerse himself in drinking or isolation as the latter grew worried about their entire endeavor. He thus knew it was time for them to call it quits by 1996, especially as he had a horrific dream which he took as an omen. Per records, in his dream, he’d found himself in the water with his legs cut out following a shark attack, which he took as his life was in danger if he continued down the criminal path.
However, owing to the journey Steve and Scott had been through, he decided to stay for one last robbery, only for it to become the Hollywood Bandit’s downfall. They planned to hit five banks in a day, just to scale it back to one big one upon learning the FBI had managed to convince all Seattle banks to put two electronic trackers in their vault money. On November 27, 1996, Thanksgiving eve, Scott and fellow accomplice Mark Biggins stole $1.8 million from Seafirst Bank, only to fail to remove one of the trackers in time.
Therefore, following five years, the authorities managed to catch up with the group, resulting in a shootout during which Scott ran away, Mark was injured in the abdomen, and Steve was shot in the arm. He was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he was questioned until he finally revealed Scott, the one who got away, was the mastermind behind it all. The latter was zeroed in on the very next day, but he chose to die by suicide, leaving his accomplices to face the music of justice once they’d been healed.
Steve Meyers Prefers to Keep Away From the Limelight Today
Both Steve and Mark pleaded guilty to charges of armed bank robbery, conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, and use of firearms during an assault on a federal officer in connection to the nearly $2 million heist on February 27, 1997. They were subsequently sentenced to 21 years in prison, which the former served without any issues and was thus granted early release – he was actually let go from federal detainment on December 6, 2013, just in time for Christmas. Though no matter what, he is glad they got arrested as it enabled him to turn over a new leaf for good while realizing they money is just paper in the end – it’s not worth losing loved ones over.
Coming to Steve’s current standing, from what we can tell, he is currently based in New Iberia, Louisiana, where he prefers to remain well away from the limelight while staying close to his family. We should also mention that while it’s unclear what this 74-year-old is up to these days in a professional sense, we do know the former artist turned criminal is likely embracing every moment he has with his loved ones. After all, a mere six years following his release from prison, this father, grandfather, as well as great-grandfather lost his wife, Mary Louise Ponkonin Meyers – she sadly died on October 26, 2019, leaving him and their massive brood behind.
Read More: Scott Scurlock: How Did Hollywood Die?
