Masterminds Convicted In CUHeists

TEMPE, Ariz. - (07/07/05) -- Two California men were found guiltylast month of engineering two interstate armed robberies at localcredit unions in 2002 that netted almost $300,000. The two men,Jonathan Hunter and Derrick McCreary, masterminded the two heistsfrom their Los Angeles base by scouting out the credit unions, thenrecruiting Los Angeles gang members to serve as the gunmen, withoutparticipating in the robberies themselves, according toprosecutors. The two were found guilty of planning a January 2002hold-up at Tempe Schools FCU when $182,293 was stolen, as well as arobbery a month later at Safeway FCU when $106,470 was taken.McCreary traveled to Tempe to sketch out the credit union floorplans and Hunter enlisted the gang members, then they drove thegangsters across the desert the night before the robberies. In thehours before each hold-up the two stole a getaway car to facilitatethe escape of their accomplices. The two criminal masterminds usedtext messages transmitted over cell phones to communicate theirplans, some of which were used as evidence to convictthem.