2020’s Weirdest Crime Stories

11 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Carlos Gamino in Uncategorized

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2020, Weird Crime

There’s no doubt that 2020 has been the strangest year that any of us has experienced – criminals included. Check out the weirdest crime stories that hit the news in 2020 (and cross your fingers for 2021).

The Weirdest Crime Stories From 2020

Some of these weird crime stories come from our own backyard – and some are halfway across the world. Regardless of location, we hope you enjoy shaking your head at them like we did.

Tree Theft Has Authorities… Stumped

In Madison, someone stole a rare pine tree from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum – and it wasn’t small, so authorities are trying to figure out how the pine-pickers got it out unnoticed. The tree, a 25-foot Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain Pine, was chopped down sometime between November 5 and November 9, and whomever did it is still on the loose. Authorities suspect that someone is using the tree as part of a holiday display somewhere nearby.

Fake Death Claim Comes to Life

A New York man wanted to avoid being sentenced for two felonies (who wouldn’t?), so he faked his own death and tried to submit a false death certificate to authorities. It looks like he avoided English class in high school, too – the man’s undoing was that he spelled “registry” as “Regsitry.” The typo caught someone’s eye and now he’s facing additional charges.

It’s Okay to Go to a Liquor Store in a Mask – But Not This One

A man took masking up to the extreme by donning a hollowed-out watermelon and strolling into a liquor store to shoplift in Virginia this year. Even worse, he posted a TikTok video that connected the melon to his – well, melon – and authorities who saw the shoplifting on CCTV had an easy time putting two and two together.

What Are Your Favorite Weird Crime Stories From This Year?

I’d love to hear your weird crime stories from 2020, so please share them with me on Facebook or Twitter!

Carlos Gamino

Weird Crime: 2020 Edition

01 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by Carlos Gamino in Attorney Carlos A. Gamino, Blog by Attorney Carlos Gamino

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Weird Crime

By Carlos Gamino

Every now and then we like to pick up oddball news stories related to crime from across the world, and for 2020 – which is already weird as it is – we’ve uncovered a whole host of almost-unbelievable true crimes, including a couple who faked a woman’s death to keep her out of prison and a 5-year-old boy who wanted to buy a Lamborghini.

West Virginia Couple Fakes Woman’s Death

A West Virginia woman, with the help of her husband and son, attempted to fake her own death so she could avoid prison time. The woman went “missing” on May 31, when her fraud-committing family members said she fell off a cliff while searching for a missing earring. Search and rescue crews, including one from the National Park Service, scoured the area… until she turned up in her home a few days later.

Boy, 11 Years Shy of Getting Driver’s License, Takes Family Car on a Road Trip to Buy a Lamborghini

An Ogden, Utah 5-year-old hopped behind the wheel of his family’s SUV and embarked on a road trip to California to buy a Lamborghini because his mother wouldn’t buy him one. Utah Highway Patrol clocked him on the expressway doing 32 miles per hour, so officers believed the driver was drunk or having a medical emergency and pulled the car over. Surprisingly, the boy was fine – but he only had $3 in his wallet, so if the police hadn’t stopped him, he probably still wouldn’t have been able to get the car of his dreams. The boy isn’t going to face joyriding charges, but he did say, “The police told me I drive good.”

Polite Minnesotan Thief Leaves Thank-You Note

Porch pirates are everywhere, but they usually take your stuff and run. That wasn’t the case with a polite Midwesterner (they raise us right out here) who left a thank-you note in place of a package he or she stole from someone’s porch. The note, scrawled on notebook paper, read, “So just a quick little thank you for leaving me the opportunity of stealing your package. Very nice of you. Thank you.” It was signed “The new owner of your package.”

What Are Your Weirdest Crime Stories for 2020?

I’d love to read your favorite weird crime stories from this already-odd year, so please share a link on my Facebook page or Twitter feed to join the conversation!