On a typical Wednesday morning in May 1990, bank courier John Goddard was going about his routine in the City of London, carrying his briefcase. However, this day took an unexpected turn when he was confronted at knifepoint and robbed of his case containing 301 City bonds valued at £292 million – equivalent to £850 million today. Despite extensive efforts by the City of London Police, the thief’s trail quickly went cold.
This incident, known as “the biggest heist you have never heard of,” is now the focus of a Crime+Investigation documentary series hosted by Marcel Theroux, set to debut on Monday, November 3rd. The series delves into the intricate criminal scheme behind the heist, involving the New York mafia, the IRA, and Colombian drug traffickers. The mastermind behind the plan remains unidentified to this day.
Although only Keith Cheeseman was convicted and imprisoned for his involvement in the conspiracy to launder the bonds, he claims that the actual value of the stolen bonds was substantially higher, totaling around £427 million. This suggests that an additional £135 million was never officially acknowledged or recovered by authorities.
Cheeseman, now residing on the Turkish Riviera, acknowledges his association with the theft but maintains that the orchestration happened internally. Referred to as ‘The Big Cheese,’ he was a prominent figure in criminal circles, interacting with various notorious personalities. Despite the convictions and speculations surrounding the case, many questions remain unanswered, leaving a sense of intrigue and mystery surrounding this audacious robbery.