Paddy Mitchell

Who is Paddy Mitchell?

Patrick Michael "Paddy" Mitchell of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, was leader of the notorious "Stopwatch Gang" of bank robbers. Mitchell was regarded to be North America's most famous, most successful and, especially, most likeable bank robber of our time. Paddy Mitchell was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted list for the Stopwatch Gang's bank robberies across the U.S.

Mitchell, working with fellow Canadians Stephen Reid and Lionel Wright stole approximately $15 million, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, from more than 140 banks and other sites across Canada and the U.S. He escaped from prison three times, and moved to the Philippines for a period of 15 years, where he re-married and had a son who was named Richard. During that time, he often flew back to the U.S. to visit banks. Finally, in 1994, he was convicted for a solo robbery in Mississippi and put in prison for the last time to serve a 65-year sentence.

The Stopwatch Gang, which was famous for its speedy heists — including the 1974 robbery of $700,000 in gold bars from the Ottawa Airport — took its name from the stopwatch worn by Reid. Known for their non-violent methods and for being polite to their victims, several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, This Bank Robber's Life, which he wrote from prison were produced.