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American Greed Episode 37: Bank Robbing Broker

Case File

Bank Robbing Broker

  • The Broker
  • A New York commodities broker goes on a losing streak. Stephen Trantel is out of a job and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Broke and desperate, he makes an unthinkable decision. The broker turns to bank robbery.
  • The Secret Life
  • Trantel's loving family still believes he works in the trading pits. He pretends to leave each morning for work…but secretly goes to the local library. It's easy to learn his new trade. Trantel scours the Internet for bank robbing tips.
  • The Art of the Heist
  • Trantel needs money fast. He walks into a bank and steals $10,000 in cash. It's just the beginning. He targets unsuspecting banks on New York's Long Island for easy prey. How far will he go and who will be hurt before he's stopped?

Web Extras

  • Bank robberies committed by women have been on the rise in recent years according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime statistics for the first quarter of 2010 show that nearly 6 percent of bank robberies for the quarter were committed by women. That number is roughly the same as it was in 2009 when the world financial crisis began and is a 25 percent increase over 2002 figures.So what drives a woman to rob banks? In most cases, it's financial need rather than greed or thrill-seeking, l
    Notorious Female Bank Robbers
    By: Constance Parten

    From the 19th century through 2010, here are 10 women who've kept law enforcement and the banking industry on their toes.

  • The Investigation Report

    Investigation report from Stephen Trantel’s first bank robbery in Merrick, NY on 7/11/03. (Source: Nassau County Police Department, Sgt. Jim Skopek.)

  • The "Wanted" Poster

    A "wanted" poster issued by the Nassau County Police Department. It shows Stephen Trantel’s surveillance photos and gives a description of Trantel, as well as six of his robberies. (Source: Nassau County Police Department, Sgt. Jim Skopek.)