Midwest Bank Robbers
Encyclopedia
The Aryan Republican Army is the name given to a White nationalist criminal group active in the United States
in the early-to-mid 1990s. The group is alleged to have associated with convicted Oklahoma City
bomber Timothy McVeigh
in the months before the Oklahoma City bombing
. The organization was sometimes referenced in the media as the Midwest Bank Robbers.
. They reportedly targeted banks in the Midwest due to a belief that security measures there would be less thorough. Known members of the ARA include Michael William Brescia
, Mark William Thomas, Richard Lee Guthrie Jr., Peter Kevin Langan, Kevin McCarthy, and Scott Stedeford. Subsequent to their arrest, Guthrie, Langan, McCarthy and Thomas became witnesses for the prosecution, while Richard Lee Guthrie reportedly committed suicide while in custody. All members otherwise received prison sentences of varying lengths, on an array of state and/or federal charges. In 2010 the Aryan Republican Army was the subject of episode 82 of Gangland
.
, a private community made up of followers of the late Christian Identity
pastor
Robert G. Millar, and other persons associated with right-wing extremist and White nationalist
-style views. Other ARA members were known to frequent Elohim City as well. Elohim City security director Andreas Strassmeir was a known associate of Timothy McVeigh
's (having met him at a Tulsa gun show), and federal investigators determined that McVeigh had made a phone call to Elohim City on April 5th, 1995, just two weeks prior to the Oklahoma City bombing (although no one at Elohim City claims to have spoken with him). Additionally, five separate women from a nightclub
in Tulsa have each identified Brescia as the man who was paying for Tim McVeigh's drinks on April 8th, 1995, just three days after McVeigh's suspicious phone call. Two more women in Kansas
reported that McVeigh and Brescia were frequent associates, while Guthrie bore a distinct physical resemblance to "John Doe Number Two". Timothy McVeigh's sister, Jennifer, also claimed he had been one of the participants in several, unspecified bank robberies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early-to-mid 1990s. The group is alleged to have associated with convicted Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
bomber Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
in the months before the Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
. The organization was sometimes referenced in the media as the Midwest Bank Robbers.
Activities
Members of the Aryan Republican Army were responsible for a series of 22 bank robberies in the American MidwestMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. They reportedly targeted banks in the Midwest due to a belief that security measures there would be less thorough. Known members of the ARA include Michael William Brescia
Michael William Brescia
Michael William Brescia is a convicted bank robber who has also been alleged to have been involved in the Oklahoma City bombing.Born to a firefighter father and accountant mother in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brescia was both a member of the Aryan Republican Army and a part-time student at La...
, Mark William Thomas, Richard Lee Guthrie Jr., Peter Kevin Langan, Kevin McCarthy, and Scott Stedeford. Subsequent to their arrest, Guthrie, Langan, McCarthy and Thomas became witnesses for the prosecution, while Richard Lee Guthrie reportedly committed suicide while in custody. All members otherwise received prison sentences of varying lengths, on an array of state and/or federal charges. In 2010 the Aryan Republican Army was the subject of episode 82 of Gangland
Gangland (TV series)
Gangland is a documentary television series that airs on The History Channel. It usually airs on Thursday evenings although it has been known to arbitrarily change days every so often. Gangland explores the history of some of America's more notorious gangs. It premiered on November 1, 2007 with a...
.
Connections to Oklahoma City Bombing Case
Brescia and Guthrie both resided for a time at Elohim CityElohim City, Oklahoma
Elohim City is a private community in Adair County, Oklahoma founded by Robert G. Millar in 1973. Millar, a Canadian immigrant and charismatic religious leader, moved his followers to the site from their former location in Ellicott City, Maryland known as "The Camp", it was located on Route 144...
, a private community made up of followers of the late Christian Identity
Christian Identity
Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely affiliated believers and churches with a racialized theology. Many promote a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity.According to Chester L...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
Robert G. Millar, and other persons associated with right-wing extremist and White nationalist
White nationalism
White nationalism is a political ideology which advocates a racial definition of national identity for white people. White separatism and white supremacism are subgroups within white nationalism. The former seek a separate white nation state, while the latter add ideas from social Darwinism and...
-style views. Other ARA members were known to frequent Elohim City as well. Elohim City security director Andreas Strassmeir was a known associate of Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
's (having met him at a Tulsa gun show), and federal investigators determined that McVeigh had made a phone call to Elohim City on April 5th, 1995, just two weeks prior to the Oklahoma City bombing (although no one at Elohim City claims to have spoken with him). Additionally, five separate women from a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Tulsa have each identified Brescia as the man who was paying for Tim McVeigh's drinks on April 8th, 1995, just three days after McVeigh's suspicious phone call. Two more women in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
reported that McVeigh and Brescia were frequent associates, while Guthrie bore a distinct physical resemblance to "John Doe Number Two". Timothy McVeigh's sister, Jennifer, also claimed he had been one of the participants in several, unspecified bank robberies.