CASPER, Wyo.—A young man who had done odd jobs in a branch, a lucky guess, a missing phone cable and a credit union that had not changed the very simple code on its vault in more than a decade all came together to contribute to the theft of nearly $50,000.
Kevin Walsh, 21, has pleaded guilty here to stealing approximately $48,000 from the vault of Family First FCU here in mid-June of 2014. K2radio.com reported that Walsh confessed to the crime during an interview with police, in which he explained that he had earlier stolen a key while doing odd jobs around the credit union. He broke into the credit union, turned away several security cameras (before turning them back to their original position prior to leaving), and was able to proceed without the alarm going off because, as was later discovered, a phone cable needed to transmit the alarm was missing, according to K2radio.com.
Walsh told police he knew the alarm code anyway from previous observations he had made at the credit union. K2radio.com said he told police that when it came to the vault, he had seen similar vaults at a job at which he worked that produced the vault lock device, where the manufacturer used a vault lock code of 1-2-3-4-5-6. Walsh said he used that code at the credit union, and the vault opened on the first try.
The credit union had not changed the code since obtaining the vault a decade earlier, K2radio.com reported. Walsh told police he had also kept his getaway vehicle running in neutral, because any other gear would have caused the headlights to automatically turn on.
Walsh, who became a suspect after spending $20,000 in cash on a vehicle, told police the remaining funds were hidden beneath his home, and have since been recovered.
K2radio.com reported that as part of a plea deal prosecutors will not seek any prison time for Walsh, but they could seek an unspecified term of probation and/or a recommendation for boot camp. If he breaks the law before he is sentenced, then the deal is off, and the court could sentence him to the maximum of 10 years in prison.
Walsh is free on $10,000 bond and will be sentenced at a later date.