Patrick Michael "Paddy" Mitchell (June 26, 1942 – January 14, 2007) of

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario, was leader of the notorious " Stopwatch Gang" of

bank robbers Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank-o ...

. Mitchell was on the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

's most wanted list for the Stopwatch Gang's bank robberies across the United States.

Background

Mitchell, working with fellow Canadians Stephen Reid, and Lionel Wright stole approximately $15 million—mainly in the 1970s and 1980s—from more than 140 banks and other sites across Canada and the U.S. The Stopwatch Gang, which was famous for its speedy heists, was named for a stopwatch Reid wore around his neck. They successfully completed a $750,000 gold heist in 1974 from the

airport. They were arrested after that robbery and all escaped from prison by 1979. They were known for non-violent methods and politeness to victims. The gang's story is recorded in several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, ''This Bank Robber's Life'', which he wrote from prison. He escaped from prison three times, one of the times he purposely induced heart-attack related symptoms by consuming enough

nicotine Nicotine is a naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As a pharmaceutical drug, it is used fo ...

from cigarettes; he was taken to hospital, having gang members pick him up in a stolen ambulance. The gang's biggest heist took place at a Bank of America branch in San Diego on September 23, 1980, when the US$283,000 they stole set a San Diego record. On October 31, 1980, FBI agents arrested Wright and Mitchell in the

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

area near Slide Rock State Park. Wright and Mitchell had a hideout in Forest Houses in

Oak Creek Canyon Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon o ...

and Mitchell rented a house about three miles north. Mitchell later moved to the Philippines for 15 years, where he remarried and had a son. During that time, he often flew back to the United States. While at large, Mitchell's case was featured on '' Unsolved Mysteries''. On November 23, 1990, Mitchell was added to the

's most wanted list. Finally, on February 22, 1994, he was arrested just after a solo robbery in Southaven, Mississippi, convicted of bank robbery, and sentenced to a 65-year prison sentence. Mitchell was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006, and died on January 14, 2007, in the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C. in the prison hospital at the age of 64.

References

External links

Paddy Mitchell's Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Paddy 1942 births 2007 deaths Canadian bank robbers Canadian gangsters of Irish descent Fugitives People convicted of robbery People from Ottawa

Background

See also

References

External links