Watch these families bond over breaking the law
Siblings stealing money from a Girl Scout? A father-daughter burglary ring? In these unusual cases, family members find themselves in hot water with the justice system.
Siblings stealing money from a Girl Scout? A father-daughter burglary ring? In these unusual cases, family members find themselves in hot water with the justice system.
Siblings stealing money from a Girl Scout? A father-daughter burglary ring? In these unusual cases, family members find themselves in hot water with the justice system.
Stream full episodes of “Crimes, Cons and Capers” now by downloading the Very Local app for free.
Family bonding is generally a good thing — unless it ends with one or more members in handcuffs.
"It's very common for siblings to be partners in crime," said Shamus Smith, John Jay College of Criminal Justice doctoral lecturer and former NYPD officer. "There's a certain degree of trust that's there, there's often a common objective. Usually, that goal is to obtain money."
But it's not just brothers and sisters ending up on the wrong side of the law. Sometimes parent-child dynamics are at play, too.
"As children, we trust our parents, you know, to guide us, and teach us, you know, the right way. It's absolutely the opposite influence that a parent's supposed to have on a child of any age," said legal analyst Dana Richardson, who practices criminal defense and family law.
Check out strange stories of family members wading into hot legal water together, with expert commentary from Smith and Richardson.
The Great Chip Rip
In Marion County, Florida, a brother-sister duo tries to pull a chip-and-dip, with the brother attempting to pull chips out of a Frito-Lay factory dumpster for resale.
But they didn't dip fast enough.
"I think it's really gross," said Smith. "To dumpster dive into a big container and pull out that food and redistribute it to the public... that's no good."
Cookie Cash Caper
First potato chips, and now Girl Scout cookies? Well, in this case, the siblings weren't after the cookies themselves.
Instead, the brother snatched the cash box away from a Girl Scout at a table outside a Deltona, Florida Walmart.
"There was such an outcry from the community over this because it involved kids and involved the Girl Scouts," said Richardson. "Most importantly, it involved Girl Scout cookies, and who doesn't love a Thin Mint?"
Daddy-Daughter Plans
In Colerain Township, Ohio, police are stumped by a string of burglaries spanning multiple years.
That is, until one night, when an officer hears a cry for help that leads to enough loot to "fill a department store."
To see these unusual cases and more, watch the latest episode of the Very Local original series, "Crimes, Cons and Capers," "Family Business," by downloading the Very Local app for free.
"Crimes, Cons and Capers" is a fast-paced look at headline-grabbing crimes and far-fetched escapades across the country.
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