Wanted: The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge
Leslie Ibsen Rogge was, at one time, number seven on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Rogge, was accused of stealing more than $2 million over a 20-year career from banks across the United States. A new book by his nephew, Dane Batty, provides the unbelievable story of this lifelong criminal in large part from Rogge’s own writings.
The book, Wanted: Gentlemen Bank Robber: The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge, One of the FBI’s Most Elusive Criminals (Nish Publishing Company, 2010) is so enthralling and entertaining that the reader will immediately start rooting for the main character/criminal. While the book reads like a fictional tale, the book holds more truth than most having been written in large part by the criminal himself.
While he may have robbed over 30 banks during his illustrious career, he never fired a gun or hurt anyone during his robberies. He developed a very specific technique for his robberies that worked like a charm each and every time.
Rogge is the brother of the author’s mother. He would send short stories to Batty’s mother after finally being caught and imprisoned in 1996. Batty would get to read those stories from time to time and thought they were “funny, adventurous and exciting.”
Batty decided to put the stories in a book. The author adds his own comments throughout the book based on his own research through court documents, newspaper articles, television shows and testimonials. The result is a book filled with a life of crime and sometimes romanticism.
Rogge started his criminal adventures early in life, before his teen years. He stole his first car at the age of 13. and never looked back. He ran off with a girlfriend after stealing all of his dad’s credit cards. They were gone for 10 weeks before he returned home. The girl’s mother wanted him out of the picture so when he ended up in juvenile court, the judge gave him four options, pick one of the four military services and enlist.
Rogge joined the United States Navy and was eventually dishonorably discharged after going AWOL for the second time. He married in 1962 and had two children. The marriage did not last and he was unable to see his children most of their lives.
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