The Stopwatch Gang was a group of three Canadians,

Paddy Mitchell Patrick Michael "Paddy" Mitchell (June 26, 1942 – January 14, 2007) of Ottawa, Ontario, was leader of the notorious " Stopwatch Gang" of bank robbers. Mitchell was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted list for the Stopwatch Gang ...

, Lionel Wright, and Stephen Reid, who made a living robbing banks in the United States and Canada. From 1974 to 1980, they robbed more than 140 banks and stole the equivalent of about $15 million Canadian dollars. The gang was famous for the meticulous planning of their jobs. They were known for robbing banks in two minutes or less and getting away with no trace. The group was nicknamed "The Stopwatch Gang" by 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, ...

, because Reid was seen wearing a

stopwatch A stopwatch is a timepiece designed to measure the amount of time that elapses between its activation and deactivation. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stop clock. ...

around his neck while robbing the bank. They were known for

non-violent Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

methods and politeness to victims. They successfully completed a $750,000 gold heist in 1974 from the

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 ...

airport. They were arrested after that robbery and all escaped from prison by 1979. Then, they carried out a large number of bank robberies in the 1980s along the California coast, where they stole large sums of money. The gang's biggest heist took place at a

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank ...

branch in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

on September 23, 1980, when the

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

283,000 they stole set a San Diego record. On October 31, 1980,

FBI 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 ...

agents arrested Wright and Reid 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 Nation ...

area near

Slide Rock State Park Slide Rock State Park is an Arizona State Park located in Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona, Arizona, United States. It takes its name from a natural water slide formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. Slide Rock State Park is located on Coconi ...

. Wright and Reid 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 was arrested two years later. 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. Mitchell was diagnosed with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

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. Reid later became a noted Canadian author after writing ''Jackrabbit Parole'' while in prison and then being paroled in 1987. In 1999, Reid re-offended and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was released on

day parole Day parole is a form of release under Canadian law that permits prisoner participation in public activities during the day, and requires they return to their prison or halfway house nightly. The Parole Board of Canada may waive this requirement, or ...

in February 2014. Reid died in hospital near his home on

Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; hai, X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay / , literally "Islands of the Haida people") is an archipelago located between off the northern Pacific coast of Canada. The islands are separated from the mainland to the east by the shallow Hec ...

in June 2018.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stopwatch Gang Gangs in the United States Gangs in Canada Bank robbery Trios Irish-Canadian organized crime