Panama Bank Heist: Sheriff and Cops Indicted in $31,000 Robbery

It’s a scandal that’s left the small town of Panama reeling. In a brazen daytime heist, the State Bank of Panama was robbed of a staggering $31,000. But what’s even more shocking is that the masterminds behind the crime were some of the town’s most trusted officials. Ten men, including Sheriff Wilson and Constable Ben Battleson Johnson, were indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on January 10, 1922. The indictments also named three St. Louis men whose identities were kept under wraps until they’re apprehended. But one man was initially thought to be the culprit, only to be cleared in a stunning twist.