Serial Bank Robber No Longer Needs Banks

A guest on the #1 downloaded podcast with Adam Carolla, now read his compelling story of gangs, prison, and success in the business world.

The “Skinny Bandit”—a whiter-than-cocaine kid from gang-filled streets of Otay in San Diego—who robbed banks to eat ironically no longer needs banks because of his steady success in Bitcoin trading and other cryptocurrencies.

Meticulous and calculating, Richard Stanley continually evaded capture and grew brazen with each additional bank heist in the early 2000s.

The robberies continued, and it appeared that the FBI would never catch the elusive yet polite robber who went from teller to teller saying, “Put the money on the counter…” and walked away with thousands in cash in a clear plastic bag.

Upon his sudden arrest, the shocking truth was finally revealed when this criminal mastermind who repeatedly outwitted authorities turned out to an eighteen-year-old kid from the Hispanic gang-filled streets of Otay in San Diego.

Why Did He Rob Banks?

The first time was for cash to buy a Taco Bell grande meal.

Today, the Skinny Bandit is a successful entrepreneur, in legit business in the adult marketing world and escorts and exotic dancers, and a day trader in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

Richard Stanley did his time—seven-plus years in Donovan, a rough Southern California prison, where he hustled to stay up on game and where he experienced the real Orange Is the New Black—and where he witnessed the worst horrors of the prison system, from guards killing inmates to rampant drug use and the lengths desperate people go to get what they need (such as snacks, drugs, cell phones, and warm clothing).

WARNING to readers: This book contains offensive language and graphic descriptions of criminal activity.

The Story of the Neighborhood Struggle

Richard Stanley recounts his tumultuous childhood of growing up in the dangerous neighborhood of Otay, surrounded by gangs, drugs, violence, and poverty.

His crimes started with petty shoplifting before graduating to bank robbery. After a short time, Stanley had perfected his craft and hit multiple banks. Each time, he and his crew evaded capture, but one critical mistake cost him everything. The FBI finally tracked him down, and Stanley was sentenced to hard time in one of Southern California’s worst prisons, but his story was only beginning.

Stanley details his time in prison and how he sold drugs from behind bars. He also illustrates what daily life was like in jail, his interactions with the other inmates, and the dark side of the correctional officers whose jobs are to maintain law and order. He wondered just who the criminals were—the guards or the inmates. Maybe both.

Making the Case for Prison Reform

After his release, Stanley became very successful in adult online marketing with exotic dancers and professional escorts where he was introduced to Bitcoin as a form of payment.

He schooled himself in Bitcoin trading and other cryptocurrencies. Although he doesn’t say he’s an expert, he’s moved up in the world to swanky Newport Beach, where his business is based, and where he lives a life far from the hellhole of the two-man prison cell at Donovan. [This book contains bootlegged graphic photos of prison life taken by the cellies behind bars.]

With his degree in “business” from one of California’s finest institutions where he was given a free ride in their eight-year program (with a seven-month sabbatical in solitude), Richard Stanley graduated from bank robbery to stacking Bitcoin as a legit entrepreneur and shares a vital message: People can change.

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER and for more info, visit the book’s website: www.UpOnGameBook.com