Cowboy Bob

The 'Cowboy Bob' episode of the 'Criminal' podcast unfolds the intriguing narrative of a series of bank robberies committed by an unassuming figure dressed in cowboy attire. In May 1991, a man wearing a cowboy hat and a brown leather jacket robbed a bank in Irving, Texas, with a polite demeanor and a simple note demanding money. This man was dubbed 'Cowboy Bob' by the FBI, and he captured the attention of Skip Hollingsworth, a writer for Texas Monthly, due to his calm and measured approach, which contrasted with the typical impulsive and aggressive bank robber. Over the course of several months, Cowboy Bob robbed multiple banks across the Dallas suburbs, each time with minimal fuss and leaving behind few clues, save for the occasional stolen license plate that led the FBI on wild goose chases.

Steve Powell, the FBI's lead bank robbery specialist in Texas, was confounded by Cowboy Bob's meticulous methods, which included wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and keeping his head down to evade clear security camera footage. Cowboy Bob's robberies were not lucrative, often netting just a few thousand dollars each, but his ability to evade capture frustrated the FBI. It wasn't until Cowboy Bob's fifth robbery that the FBI received a break in the case. A license plate finally led to a real owner, Pete Tallas, who directed them to his mother and sister's residence. There, the FBI encountered Peggy Jo Tallas, who initially appeared to be an innocent bystander until flakes of white spray paint from her hair revealed her true identity.

Peggy Jo Tallas, a 48-year-old woman, had been living a double life as the polite, unassuming Cowboy Bob. Upon searching her apartment, the FBI found the disguise and the money from the robberies. Despite her initial silence, the discovery of the disguise and the stolen money in her apartment left no doubt that Peggy Jo was the bank robber they had been chasing. Her arrest shocked Steve Powell and the FBI, as they had never suspected a woman to be behind the cowboy facade.