In the late 1980s, university libraries start to notice items missing from their rare book collections and suspect they’ve been robbed. That's when a lone university police officer takes the case, helping to lead the FBI to a mansion in Ottumwa, Iowa, where they make a shocking discovery of more than 23,000 stolen rare books and manuscripts. In a heist spanning 20 years, hundreds of libraries across the United States and Canada had been hit by the most prolific book thief in world history. Scamtown is an Apple Original podcast, produced by FunMeter. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts. http://apple.co/Scamtown
Once in a while, a story comes along that's kind of surprising.
I totally know what you mean.
Sensational details can initially be attractive, but there are certain episodes that once you start digging into them, it just lingers in your head for a while.
This one does just that.
It's a crime of history.
Yes, we're talking rare, one of a kind.
Artifacts worth millions of dollars or even priceless kind of history.
This is about a who broke world records by undertaking a 20 year long heist.
Welcome to Scamtown, an Apple original podcast produced by Fun Meter.
I'm Brian Lazarte.
And I'm James Lee Hernandez.
We're filmmakers who've been trading stories now for quite some time.
Obsessed and compelled to bring some of our favorites to life.
We love a surprising heist, an intricate scam or just pulling back the curtain on something you think you know.
Entering a world that's stranger than fiction and riding that line between comedy and tragedy.
This is Scam town, a place for our favorite stories that do just that.
Today's episode, the book Thief.
When you consider the valuable items a criminal would go to the trouble of stealing, top of the list would be cash or diamonds.
Automobiles, maybe art, right?
You know, jewelry stores or museums, not libraries.