Tag: robbery

A pair of burglars made off with $200,000 after wearing extremely realistic-looking masks and dressing as New York City cops. Edward Byam, 24, and Akeem Monsalvatge, 37, of Queens, dressed up as NYPD officers and wore the masks, making it appear that the two – both African American – were white.

And they would have gotten away with it too… If it weren’t for the “thank you” letter they sent to the company that made the realistic latex masks.

After getting away with the robbery, Byam wrote a note to Composite Effects, in order to show his appreciation for for the “realism” of the disguise.

Thick gloves covered the skin on their hands completely, and dark glasses hid their eyes, masking the only non-realistic aspect of the mask.

“We don’t know if they are white, black or Hispanic. People in the neighborhood saw them in the van for two or three days before the robbery,” a police spokesman announced before catching the two. Witnesses, police explained then, said that “They saw three white guys.”

NYPD was tipped off to check with Composite Effects, a company that makes masks like the ones used in the heist.

The company then turned over the email from Byam, which read “I’m sending this message to say I’m extremely pleased by CFX work on the mask. The realism of the mask is unbelievable.”

As for Monsalvatge he had apparently boasted about robbing another Pay-O-Matic in Queens, back in 2010. He lists his occupation as “venture capitalist,” on his Facebook account.

h/t – politicalblindspot