America’s Largest Cash Heist: The Dunbar Depot Robbery The Dunbar Depot robbery in Los Angeles in 1997 remains the largest cash theft in the United States. A safety inspector at the armored facility spent months studying camera gaps, door access points, employee routines, and the placement of bundled currency. His role allowed unrestricted movement through loading corridors and vault staging areas, giving him a clear understanding of when the depot held the most cash with the fewest workers present. On a Saturday night the crew used duplicate keys to enter the building and moved through a corridor the leader knew would not be captured on video. They reached the loading zone where millions in currency waited for early morning distribution. The thieves restrained employees and seized stacks of high denomination notes arranged for upcoming shipments. They filled large bags with 18 million dollars and exited without triggering alarms or leaving meaningful forensic evidence. A rented truck nearby served as the transport vehicle. The money was divided among storage units, safe houses, and small businesses used to launder portions of the stolen cash. Investigators struggled because the entry showed no forced damage and the timing indicated deep internal knowledge. The clean scene created one of the most difficult financial crime cases in the country, and federal agents later stated they believed additional accomplices never surfaced. The breakthrough came when an accomplice attempted to use a group of bills still in a sequence traceable to the depot inventory. Federal investigators followed the trail and identified multiple conspirators. Arrests followed as associates made large purchases or moved cash in unusual patterns. The organizer received a 24 year sentence and several accomplices received 7 to 10 year terms. Authorities recovered only 5 million dollars, leaving 13 million dollars missing, and the crime remains America’s largest heist. #History #USHistory #USA