Robbers who disguised themselves as white cops are caught… after they send polite thank-you letter to company that made their ‘unbelievable’ latex masks

• Robbers wore life-like masks to steal $200,000 from check-cashing store
  
• Edward Byam, 24, and Akeem Monsalvatge, 37, were caught after Byam wrote a thank you note to the company that made the high-end disguises
  

By EMILY ANNE EPSTEIN
UPDATED: 15:01 EST, 22 August 2012

The New York City Police Department has collared two brazen burglars who robbed a cash-checking store in Queens disguised as cops, thanks to their polite letter of appreciation to their unwitting mask maker.

Officials say Edward Byam, 24, and Akeem Monsalvatge, 37, of Queens, dressed in NYPD gear and wearing high-end masks, robbed a Pay-O-Matic in Rosedale on Valentine’s Day.

After getting away with the heist, Byam wrote a short thank you note to Composite Effects, the makers of the mask, to show his gratitude for the ‘realism’ of the disguise.

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Masked: The New York City Police Department has collared two brazen burglars who robbed a cash-checking store in Queens disguised as cops, thanks to their polite letter of appreciation to the mask maker.

Unmasked: Officials say Edward Byam and Akeem Monsalvatge, right, of Queens, dressed in NYPD gear and wearing high-end masks, robbed a Pay-O-Matic in Rosedale on Valentine’s Day

They identified themselves as detectives at the store, wearing dark blue jackets with NYPD logos and police-type shields hanging around their necks, before making off with the contents of an unlocked safe. Police say the two men stole $200,000 from the store.

Thick gloves covered their skin completely, and dark glasses hid their eyes, making it near impossible to identify them. They even threatened a female store worker with photographs of her home, making sure she knew how serious they were.

‘We don’t know if they are white, black or Hispanic. People in the neighbourhood saw them in the van for two or three days before the robbery,’ a police spokesman said at the time. ‘They saw three white guys.’

The police then traced the photograph of the clerk’s home to a nearby Walgreen’s and were able to get Byam’s home phone number on a receipt.

Thanks to an anonymous tip, the NYPD zeroed in on Composite Effects, a company that makes masks similar to the ones the criminals used.

They contacted the company which then supplied them with an email from Byam.

‘I’m sending this message to say I’m extremely pleased by CFX work on the mask,’ Byam allegedly wrote, according to the New York Post. ‘The realism of the mask is unbelievable.’

It appears they purchased the ‘Mac the Guy’ model with customized hair designs for upwards of $600.

‘Whether you want an ordinary Joe, a handsome man or a blank palette to let your imagination take over for our many customization options, Mac is sure to be perfect for several occasions,’ the company’s website says about the mask.

Customized: The customized mask model used in the heist costs well over $500

‘Mac is designed for ultimate human realism in face and neck movement anatomy.’

The company told the MailOnline said that their products are ‘intended for entertainment purposes only.’

‘The person who purchased the masks gave no indication of any intentions to use the product for illegal purposes,’ CFX owner Wes Branton told the MailOnline. 

‘Customer privacy is important to us, but we will cooperate with law enforcement if criminal activity is involved.’

They were arrested in August 21 and the two appeared in court today on charges of armed robbery and impersonating an officer and were held without bond.

Monsalvatge had alleged robbing another Pay-O-Matic in Queens, on Sept. 10, 2010. On Facebook, he lists his occupation as ‘venture capitalist.’

‘The invidual [sic] has always had to struggle from bein[sic] overwhelmed by the tribe. If u try it you will be lonely often, and sumtimes[sic] frightened. But no price is too high to pay for owning yourself,’ he wrote on his profile.

If the trio were wearing masks the stunt would imitate a London bank robbery, Britain’s biggest ever, when £40m was robbed from the exclusive Grafts in Mayfair.

The two crooks hired a professional make-up artist to disguise them using liquid latex, at a cost of £450 ($720), reportedly under the pretense that the four-hour transformation was for a pop video.

ONLINE MASKS

• Life-like latex masks are widely available on the internet
• They range in cost from around $50 for basic masks to over $800.
• Optional extras are available including latex gloves at a cost of $569.95.

‘It is possible for someone to use a silicone mask in a situation like this. These masks are highly convincing, particularly for short term encounters such as the robbery incident. Obviously, our mask are intended for entertainment purposes only.’ Wes Branton, Composite Effects

 

Cost: Cheaper options include this one which costs around $50.

Pricey: The most expensive masks cost more than $800.

 

Creepy: The most realistic masks have wrinkles and lines. This one costs $629.95.

Life like: You can even buy latex gloves. They cost $569.95.

WELL APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RUMOUR GOING AROUND YESSIDEH SEH MAVADO GET STAB AND DEAD……DI MAN SEH FI TELL UNNO SEH

SMADDY SEND MI DIS MESSAGE –

Met? U no hear dem shoot up robbie marcia dem house roun a mill basin??????a tink2ppl get shot

robbie marcia from bklyn–angie sista—…close friends with odette[frm blow job video] french monkey n angela striker dem

– Residents of Mjini area in Voi were treated with afternoon drama days ago when a female hawker demanded a commuter to marry her after he broke her lamp.

The woman is alleged to be a hawker in the area and she is known to sell paraffin lamps. On the day of the incident the man was in a rush to board a matatu and in his rush he pushed the woman and one of the lamps fell.

The lamp broke and the irate woman followed the man who boarded a matatu. The woman demanded that the driver stops least she breaks one of the windows. Fearing her wrath the driver stopped and she pulled the man from his seat.

Curious matatu operators and on lookers gathered together to witness the incident but the woman was love stricken when she saw the person responsible for the accident. In a strange twist the woman grabbed the man by his shirt as if trying to remove money from his pockets to pay for the loss.

“mimi nimekupenda wewe, nitakufuata uendako, wewe ni bwana mwenye nimekuwa nikitafuta maishani mwangu…….huniachi.” (I have loved you, I will follow you wherever you go, and you are the husband I have been looking for in my life….. you won’t leave me) she said.

Shuffled by the twist, the man pushed her away and entered a passing matatu but the woman followed suit and hurriedly entered the same matatu. God knows how it ended

Commuters in the area are now practicing caution as they walk around in fear of a similar incident.

Not-So-Silent-Night
by Cara Hanson

I was giving my two sons a bath, happily humming a tune as I scrubbed away the dirt and grime that could only be accumulated by young boys. As I neared the chorus, three-year-old Luke piped up, “Mommy, what we really need right now is some peace and quiet.” It’s a miracle that I did not fall into the bathtub after being hit between the eyes by the Mack truck of irony. THEY needed peace and quiet? My mind did a quick montage of the past few years, a phantasmagoria of all the times my head slammed down on the table as my three young children took turns whining, crying, and screaming and I anxiously watched for our neighbors’ houses to go up for sale. Even with the imprint of the table fresh on my forehead, it never occurred to me that our children desired peace as much as I did.

After having three children in the span of four years, I wasn’t expecting peace and quiet, and I sure didn’t get any by wishing for it. All of our children are highly sensitive [1], which is great when they are older, but extremely challenging during the formative years. Highly sensitive people reflect before they act, so they are often labeled as “shy” when they are merely observing. Since they feel emotions very deeply and cry easily, even from seeing someone else cry, they need to be handled very gently. This means that I have to work extra hard at keeping everyone, including myself, peaceful. Yes, that’s right; peace takes work.

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

In Galatians 5:22, “peace” is listed as a fruit of the spirit. If only this could be like the traditional fruit basket, which shows up one day as a gift in the mail, enticing us to come eat of its appetizing abundance. We can’t just look at peace as if it is an apple that we can select and devour whenever we want to enjoy it. Peace is an end result of spiritual and righteous living. It is not something that we can choose separately from the other spiritual fruit listed in Galatians. When we strive diligently to live a life that is pleasing to God, we get the complete package–peace, joy, love, and so on. It’s more like that ubiquitous fruitcake–the same one that has been passed around the world since the Middle Ages in the spirit of re-gifting. Any way you slice it, one piece of fruitcake will provide a variety of fruit (even if it does look left over from the 15th century). When we get our lives on the right track with God, we not only have inner peace, but a plethora of other delicious benefits.

Mealtimes are not always peaceful in our household. For one thing, there is almost always a complaint from one child about the food selection. I recently watched a film version of A Christmas Carol, and my jaw hit the floor during the scene where Mrs. Cratchit brings the Christmas dinner to the table. With the presentation of each course, the salivating family members erupted into cheers and appreciative applause. “That’s so nineteenth century,” I thought cynically. “That would never happen today.” Nevertheless, the scene boosted my self-confidence; I somehow convinced myself that I would witness the same sort of jubilant reception the next evening at the dinner table. Proving that pride really does go before the fall, I had barely rounded the corner with the meal when I heard, “I’m not eating that.” Then another tiny voice screeched, “Why do you always make something I hate?” An all-out temper tantrum ensued (from the kids, not me), and frankly, I found myself getting irked by Mrs. Cratchit, the Martha Stewart of the Dickens era. I should have rejoiced with her that her children were so thankful and peaceful at the dinner table, but instead I resented her and her fabulous figgy pudding. The fact that she is a fictional character made me feel all the more ridiculous, but at least I finally understood the following:

Proverbs 17:1
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

Even though our kids create much of their own chaos, they eventually seek inner peace. After they have a meltdown, they invariably come to me for comfort. Our two year old, Nate, has daily morning temper tantrums as faithful as the sunrise. Yet afterwards, he pleads with me in his adorable toddler lisp to come ‘thnuggle on the couch.” I can tolerate the tantrums, knowing that they will culminate with precious snuggling time.

Sometimes I don’t understand, however, why my kids whine and cry and give me a headache, and then come to ME to provide peace. Could it be that we are all just like that with God? Thankfully, He doesn’t get migraines, but He does tolerate us creating our own mess, whining about it, and then asking Him for peace.

Every church epistle begins with the message of “grace and peace” from God and Jesus. Isn’t that just like a parent, having to repeat something a million times, hoping that eventually it will sink in? The Bible is full of examples of God’s desire for us to have peace. In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself to Gideon as Yahweh Shalom, “The Lord is Peace.” [2] Peace is an integral part of God’s character, and we need to plug ourselves into the source by focusing on Him and trusting Him.

Philippians 4:6 and 7
(6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
(7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The record of Paul and Silas in Acts 16 is a great example of how to have peace in the midst of chaos. After these men had been beaten, imprisoned, and chained, they still managed to keep their focus by praying and singing to God. In order to stay calm in this situation, they had to completely trust that God would deliver them. This tranquility was impressive, but could they have stayed peaceful if three young children were with them in the prison? What if the kids were whining about the bread and water, or suddenly feeling the urge to have to go the bathroom as soon as their feet were locked in the stocks? Judging by Paul’s track record (see 2 Cor. 11:23-28), I’m guessing he could have remained peaceful even during temper tantrums. Once you have the certainty of salvation through Christ, there shouldn’t be much that can rile you from that state of inner peace and quietness.

True peace comes from the knowledge that we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

If we spend our lives trying to work to be saved, we miss the point of God’s grace. My love for my children does not depend on what they do or do not do. The reason my children can come to me for peace is that they are assured of my unconditional love. They know that no matter what, I will always be their mother. Since we are born of incorruptible seed, God will always be our Father, [3] and He repeatedly refers to His “unfailing love” in the Bible. When we understand and accept God’s grace and live our lives accordingly in holiness and thankfulness, we stand confidently on the firm foundation.

Not only did Jesus make true peace available through his sacrifice, but “he himself is our peace.” [4] The world can only supply anxiety, fear, and pain, but Jesus left us a very precious gift:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus confirmed that we will have trouble, but he made it available to have peace in him, even during chaotic times. On the night Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed, “…peace to men on whom his favor rests.” [5] It was hardly quiet that night, with the heavenly host singing and the townspeople celebrating the birth of a firstborn son. Chaos does not necessarily mean lack of peace, as evidenced during a recent Christmas dinner, when our Nate decided to throw a tantrum. As he was screaming and crying and flopping around like a pancake on a griddle, I started to sing a Christmas carol, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm…” Dave and I started to laugh, and as my heart swelled with love for my husband and children, I learned that even in the midst of turmoil, you can have inner peace and strength. We have been called to a life of peace and thankfulness, even on a not-so-silent night.

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.