The Great Penny Caper: Man Arrested for Trying to Withdraw One Cent from Bank
They say crime doesn’t pay, but one man’s trip to the bank cost him a night in the pen.
By Missy Baker · July 9, 2024
When Florida man Michael Fleming went to make a withdrawal at the Chase Bank in Lady Lake, his request frightened the teller enough to hit the panic button. Fleming, 41, wasn’t armed with a gun or a mask, but with something far more terrifying… withdrawal slip meticulously filled out for the eyebrow-raising amount of $0.01. Yes, you read that right — one cent.
Now, 1/99th of a dollar doesn’t get you much nowadays. For that amount, customers usually visit the Bank of Couch Cushions, International, Registered FDIC. That’s why the teller was convinced the banking customer was up to something nefarious with this minuscule withdrawal.
Did the teller jump to conclusions?
Maybe the guy takes idioms way too literally and thought he actually needed that penny for someone’s thoughts. Maybe he forgot how decimal points work? Maybe he’s a time traveler from the 1940s looking to buy a piece of gum at the mercantile?
We don’t know and we don’t care, pal! It’s 2024, and it’s weird as hell, so we’re just gonna go ahead and call the po-po.
You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal, give the man his penny,” but have you considered the poor bank’s feelings in all this? They need every cent for their CEO’s fourth yacht. Full disclosure: They charged me a $3.99 service fee just for writing this article.
As it turns out, Fleming didn’t succeed in his mission to withdraw the penny from the bank, nor did he manage to obtain any other funds from Chase. The fact that he did not have an account with them is a minor detail that might have been a slight impediment.
According to reports, Fleming took his arrest in stride, patiently waiting in a chair for authorities to arrive. If it seems like Fleming was actually trying to get arrested with this tactic, you’re absolutely right. He’d even tried another bank first, only to find it closed.
While the penny-pinching perpetrator may not have achieved financial gain, he did accomplish his goal of spending quality time in the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office’s detention facility for some much-needed chill time.
Fleming faces a felony charge for robbery without a firearm or weapon, but the real punishment is having to tell his fellow inmates what he’s in for.
What’s next for this criminal with a heart of gold, I mean copper? He plans on doing the time for his one and only crime… being broke as hell.