Drilling Toward the Vault

A man rented a second-floor office under a false name. It sat directly above a bank, and he knew the layout. He brought in drilling tools, gas tanks and a blowtorch. One weekend he drilled holes part way through the floor, but did not break through. He came back later and considered drilling slowly, hiding the holes under a rug. He later wrote that the plan had begun to seem absurd. Then the landlord found the tools, removed them and called the police. He was charged with attempted burglary. He says this was only preparation.