How Not to Rob a Bank: And Other Stories from 20 Years as a Federal Prosecutor

by C.J. Williams

Overview

During his 20-year career as a federal prosecutor, the author worked hundreds of criminal cases, from a botched attempted bank robbery to high profile death penalty cases. In this collection of stories, the author recounts tales of trauma, drama and criminal minds. 

While many prosecutors might share their reflections on the details and operations of legal proceedings, the author instead focuses this collection on the human aspects of the criminals and their trials. The book ruminates on human nature, contemplating the motivations of the featured criminals and assessing the impact their crimes had on victims, family members and others. Some of the stories are light-hearted and humorous, while others are heartbreaking, but all provide unique and compelling insight into the all too human world of federal crime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476690216
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	11/16/2022
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The Honorable C.J. Williams is a United States District Court Judge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, whose three-decade legal career included criminal defense work and more than two decades as a federal prosecutor.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Don't Make a Federal Case Out of It! 5

2 Bungling Burglars 11

3 Dr. Feelgood 18

4 A Happy Ending 30

5 Ocean Pollution in Iowa 34

6 "Shoot the Bastard, Rico, Shoot Him!" 45

7 A Tattoo Artist, a Chef, and a Civil War Buff 50

8 Trouble in River City 58

9 White Knight Bleed-Out Scheme 88

10 Cold Dish, Hot Jeep 96

111 Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat 107

12 Ruthless Drug Dealer 111

13 Money Laundering Professionals 115

14 A Bad Cop 124

15 Death by Heroin 127

16 If It Sounds Too Good to Be True… 135

17 The Molting Maltese Falcon 143

18 Slumlord and Damage Deposits 148

19 Immigration Raid Leads to Bank Fraud Trial 160

20 Child Prostitution in Iowa 180

21 Bankruptcy Fraud on the Beach 186

22 Prosecution of a Pyromaniac 195

23 The Tale of the Marijuana-Laced Brownies 203

24 Flimflam Artist 208

25 Wiretapping with a Baby Monitor 214

26 A Woody Fraud 221

27 On a D.C. Detail 227

28 Not Everything Is Too Good to Be True 242

29 Murder on the Reservation 254

Conclusion 264

Index 265