Excerpted from: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Saturday, May 9, 1998 Vol. 2 - 129

ESR CLOSE UP

ATF UNCOVERS DANGEROUS BANK ROBBERY CONSPIRACY IN FLORIDA
By Steve Macko, ERRI Crime Analyst

ORLANDO (EmergencyNet News) - Federal agents said on Friday that a white supremacist and three other people had several pipe bombs ready to plant across Florida last year to create diversions for bank robberies. The plan went awry when a bomb exploded in the face of supremacist, identified as Todd Vanbiber, injuring his eye with shrapnel and leading investigators to a storage facility filled with evidence.

The 29-year-old Vanbiber went to jail after he was injured and unwittingly led investigators to his girlfriend, a buddy and a co-worker when a cell- mate overheard him discussing plans to destroy evidence.

Patricia Galupo, special agent-in-charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Florida, said, "Central Florida avoided a major disaster. This thing would have gone down as planned if not for a bit of divine intervention."

According to the complaint filed in federal court, 14 bombs were to be planted along two major routes in Orlando, including the major access highway to Walt Disney World. The bombs were to act as a diversion for two bank robberies.

An ATF spokesman in Orlando said, "Several of the bombs had been fully assembled. Some had been prepared with timing devices, batteries, timers and clocks."

Agents said that while Vanbiber was in jail, he called Brian Pickett, 38, Christopher Norris, 25, and Deena Wanzie, 46, to tell them to get rid of weapons and other incriminating evidence. A cellmate of Vanbiber notified the ATF after hearing the conversations and the agency arranged for an agent to pose as the cellmate's friend. Vanbiber confided in the undercover agent that Norris, a co-worker, was trying to get rid of some firearms.

Pickett and Wanzie were arrested on Thursday. Norris turned himself in Friday. Vanbiber is now cooperating with investigators. Vanbiber is now serving 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of explosives in connection with the accident that injured his eye. A search of his storage unit turned up weapons, ammunition, bomb-making manuals, Nazi memorabilia and correspondence stating membership fees were due for the National Alliance, a racist, neo-Nazi organization.

Vanbiber and Pickett were members of the National Alliance led by William Pierce, who wrote "The Turner Diaries." Prosecutors said the book was a blueprint for Timothy McVeigh in plotting the Oklahoma City bombing.

(c) Copyright, EmergencyNet NEWS Service, 1998. All Rights Reserved. Redistribution without permission is prohibited by law.

The ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT is a subscription publication of the EmergencyNet NEWS Service, which is a part of the Chicago-based Emergency Response and Research Institute. This publication specializes in Law Enforcement/Fire/EMS/Disaster and Medical Issues.

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