Blessed Are the Bank Robbers

The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw

By: Chas Smith

Narrated by: Chas Smith

A rollicking true story of Bibles and bank robberies in Southern California, from a talented and highly praised gonzo journalist.

Chas Smith grew up deeply enmeshed in the evangelical Christian world that grew out of Southern California in the late 1960s. His family included famous missionaries and megachurch pastors, but his cousin Daniel Courson was Grandma’s favorite. Smith looked up to Cousin Danny. He was handsome, adventurous, and smart, earned a degree from Bible college, and settled into a family and a stable career.

Needless to say, it was a big surprise when Cousin Danny started robbing banks. Known as the “Floppy Hat Bandit”, Courson robbed 19 of them in a torrid six-week spree before being caught and sentenced to seven years. When he tried to escape, they tacked on another year. And when he finally got out, despite seeming to be back on the straight and narrow, Cousin Danny disappeared. Banks started getting robbed again. It seemed Cousin Danny might be gunning for the record.

Smith’s Blessed Are the Bank Robbers is the wild, and wildly entertaining, story of an all-American antihero. It’s a tale of bank robberies, art and jewel heists, high-speed chases, fake identities, encrypted Swiss email accounts, jilted lovers, and the dark side of an evangelical family (and it wasn’t just Danny; an uncle was mixed up with the mujahideen). It’s a book about what it means to live inside the church and outside the law.

©2022 by Chas Smith. Published in 2022 by Abrams Press, an imprint of ABRAMS, New York. All rights reserved (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Chaz Delivers Again!

I had the pleasure of listening to Blessed Are The Bank Robbers on my surf trip from my home in Newport Oregon to North San Diego County. Oh the irony. Gotta say the book made the drive through the night much more enjoyable.

I’ve enjoyed all of Chaz Smiths books so far and I loved that this not only told a great tale but also allowed us to peek a little further behind the curtains.

Fantastic book Chaz! I hope your already hard at work on the next 🤙

Mischaracterization

Personally know the subject. Visited and wrote him at multiple prison locations. Only person at his federal sentencing. Nothing in this book addresses the deep and lasting pain he caused himself, his sweet family and those across the bank counter. The glorification of bank robbing while skipping over mental illness made it tough to finish. Chas, I hoped to meet under different circumstances.