Yes, Randele. Thomas Randele.
Posted on 03/17/2024 6:58:03 AM PDT by RandFan
A woman has detailed the incredible story of finding out that her 'boring' father was actually a fugitive bank robber - after he made the jaw-dropping confession on his deathbed.'
'Some women rely on their mothers this way. I counted on my dad.' Ashley wrote in a first-person piece for Newsweek.
She grew up believing that her father Thomas Randele was a model citizen and 'typical suburban dad,' and was completely devastated when he was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable form of lung cancer in 2021 at just 71.
However, only six weeks before his death, the loving daughter found out something that completely changed her life.
Ashley explained the last few months of her dad's life saw her simply spending time with her parents as her father grew increasingly sick - reflecting on their routine of her dad laying on the couch watching their favorite shows.
'One day, we were in the living room, when he said out of the blue: "Ladies, just in case something ever comes up once I'm gone, I don't want you to be blindsided, but there's something you should probably know... When I moved here, I had to change my name. The authorities might still be looking for me,"' she recounted.
Although initially she thought it was a 'very weird dad joke,' Ashley and mom Kathy soon realized he wasn't messing around.
It turns out Ashley's father wasn't called Thomas Randele - but was actually named Ted Conrad.
Thomas - then Ted Conrad - pulled one of the biggest bank robberies in Cleveland, Ohio's history in 1969, making off with $215,000 at the time - what would now be the equivalent of more than $1.8 million.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
It’s hers....the statute of limitations is long past.
Really amazing story. How do you just vanish? Detectives in Ohio... 🤦‍♂️
They make it sound like $1.8 million in 1980’s money. It was $215,000 in 80’s money. Just saying the headline is hyperbolic.
Wish MY Dad has said that on his death bed! But, in his case, he would’ve INVESTED it for me, and it WOULD be worth a cool million today! :)
s/b 1969 money...
We used to be a nation of laws, but now they will just find a way to seize it and put her jail..Just like the old days of Great Britain.
Vanish. ...And establish a new identity!
I seem to remember this story being posted on FR maybe a year ago, but I’m not going to bother to find it again. Also, the headline refers to a $1.8 million robbery, but the story says the amount stolen was $215,000. Bit of a difference there.
The first sentence of the article makes more sense than that tortured headline.
Yes, Randele. Thomas Randele.
Do they have Dunkin Donuts in Ohio? if they do, that answers your Detective question. They have enough old White Ladies and Blacks to beat up and arrest to keep their quotas up. Colorado Police make a living on beating up old White ladies and/or leaving them locked in Police cars parked near a rail road track to be hit by passing Freight trains.
Well, she’s not the first to discover her dad was living a double life - or.. thanks to genetic testing kits, their dad isn’t their dad...
During that time it was relatively easy to “vanish”. I know of two people that vanished to Alaska and turned up later with whole new identities.
https://archive.org/details/new-id-in-america-paladin-press
Circa: 1983.
In 1969 disappearing was a lot easier. No computer databases, no surveillance cameras, very little communication between police departments. Really just buy a new ID, move to a different jurisdiction (you don’t even have to go far, just county vs city), maybe part your hair on the other side and change your glasses, BOOM.
Well there are worst things to find out about your dad
Obviously BIG CHANGES from back then (55 years ago). For starters, if you had $215k in cash, you likely could spend much of it without triggering the feds. Buying a car or anything cheaper with cash was easy back then, but no doubt he was easily able to open bank accounts also. Now trying paying cash for a cheap airline ticket!
As to assuming a new identity, pretty much impossible now. He got his money right in the middle of the “Sweet Spot” where a person could show up in a new place from nowhere, not trigger the neighbors or police (which was the problem prior) and not already be in 1000 databases (as is the case now). Back then you could be 20 years old, walk into a Social Security Office and pick up a card, then to DMV with no other ‘background’, and you’re ‘in the system’. Try doing it now and you AUTOMATICALLY are considered suspect, as your parents should have taken out an SS Number on the day of your birth (or shortly thereafter). Most likely the bank didn’t even take fingerprints of him, which is why he never got caught.
Now you cannot even drive a car or walk outside without:
1. License Plate cameras recording your move multiple times.
2. Your phone ratting you out.
3. Your car ratting you out.
4. Your credit card ratting you out.
5. Facial Recognition Cameras ratting you out.
The list is endless.
You can’t stay at a motel without a CC. Even checks are almost done away with. Even cash at many places is discouraged except at the casinos.
I know some who has been devastated by that very situation.
“You can’t stay at a motel without a CC.”
Wow, incredible. Didn’t know that. Back then you didn’t even ID to stay at a motel...now you’re fed into a police database automatically when registering.
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