How To! with Mike Pesca ENCORE How To Rob a Bank
10 snips
Jan 27, 2026 
Joe Loya, a former bank robber turned memoirist, recounts robbing dozens of banks and his path to rehabilitation. He talks practical tradecraft like getaway choices and blending in. He describes the role of terror, why robbing seems glamorous, and the heavy regret and harm that followed.
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First Robbery And Early Capture
- Joe Loya describes his first bank robbery where he nervously wrote a note and initially fled but escaped with about $4,500.
- He later got caught for driving a stolen car, not the robbery itself, and served two years, which hardened his resolve to continue robbing banks.
Pick An Unremarkable Getaway Car
- Avoid obvious getaway-car choices that match movie stereotypes.
- Choose an unremarkable vehicle so witnesses don't expect it to be a getaway car.
Avoid Predictable Patterns
- Don't develop a pattern of robbing progressively closer to home.
- Vary locations and avoid predictable frequency to reduce the chance of being traced back.
