Podcast Summary: The Burden – "Get the Money and Run | Two Too Many" (S4E5)

Hosts: Ben Adair (The Burden), Steve Fishman (Orbit Media)
Guest: Joe Loya (former bank robber, storyteller)
Release Date: May 27, 2025

Overview

This gripping episode continues the life story of Joe Loya – once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California – focusing on the peak of his criminal career and the events leading to his capture. The episode dives into the thrills, strategies, and consequences of Joe’s robberies, the close calls with law enforcement, and the pivotal moments that ended his run. Throughout, Joe’s vibrant storytelling and the hosts’ probing questions create a compelling, darkly humorous, and often reflective narrative about crime, identity, and justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Reality of Dirty Money (02:43)

• Joe recounts the visceral, unpleasant experience of handling large amounts of cash:
  • After a successful job, Joe spreads $50,000 on his bed, attempting the “movie cliché” of lying on his money.
  • Quickly, he notices a foul smell and discovers that the money is “filthy”—possibly fecal—due to countless dirty hands.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Money stinks. Money fucking stinks.” (Joe, 04:42)

  • Insight: The glamor of stolen money is immediately undercut by the reality of its literal and symbolic filth.

2. The Cerritos Botched Getaway (05:00–16:55)

Preparing the Robbery (05:22)

• Joe details disguising himself with layers of sweatshirts to bulk up, then performing a quick clothing switch post-robbery to adopt a collegiate appearance.

The Chase and Arrest (06:15–12:02)

• After narrowly avoiding a collision with police cars and helicopters during his getaway, Joe is surrounded on the freeway in a dramatic, silent police operation.
  • He maintains hope: “I don’t feel like I look like that guy at all.” (Joe, 07:16)
  • As he's pulled over at gunpoint, Joe resists emotionally, convinced the stop is unjust and racially motivated:

    • "I feel like, okay, this is a racist rush to judgment… there's no way that I look like the guy… they just targeted a Mexican dude. That's the way I'm thinking about it, right?" (Joe, 08:27)

  • Humorous but telling police banter:

    • “You want to know why we stopped you? We stopped you for being ugly and Norwalk.” (Anonymous police officer to Joe, 10:14)

  • Despite being found with the money and a transmitter, the two female bank tellers do not identify him as the robber.

Jailed and Interviewed (12:02–16:55)

• Joe orchestrates a call from jail to get incriminating photos removed from his home, a sign of his criminal savvy.
• Special Agent Cordes interviews him, noting Joe doesn’t “look like” a typical bank robber.
  • Joe spins a fabricated story about finding the money, which doesn’t sway the veteran agent.

Court and Bail (15:07–16:55)

• Joe faces mounting evidence: sixteen bank surveillance photos in various disguises.
  • He’s granted $100,000 bail. His aunt puts up her house as surety, unaware that Joe is already plotting to skip bail.

3. Going Further – Recruiting a Double (18:35–26:10)

Escalating Risk and Betrayal (18:35–20:00)

• Joe, already spiraling, is unapologetic about endangering his aunt’s home for his own freedom:

  • “I was already an asshole… and I decided, like, up my game by putting my aunt's house in jeopardy.” (Joe, 18:38)

• He enlists a desperate, shorter acquaintance as a surrogate robber, further insulating himself from risk.

Robbery Fumbles and a Comedic Escape (20:00–26:10)

• The first attempt fails: Joe’s proxy tries to rob a bank but gets nothing.

  • “She told him no. I was like, oh my God, this guy is so bad.” (Joe, 20:39)

• The second attempt is farcical: the stand-in botches the escape, scattering money everywhere and leading to a “Benny Hill” chase.
• Joe’s driving skills enable a wild escape, but his car is damaged. He evades police by running through a restaurant kitchen and escaping out the back, all while his home is being raided.

Close Call with the FBI (24:30–26:10)

• Joe tricks the FBI by having the stand-in—noticeably shorter—do the job. When confronted by Special Agent Cordes, Joe maintains his innocence.
  • The agent admits the bank cameras prove the robber is much shorter.

  • “You have a double out there. This person's like 4 inches shorter than you.” (Agent Cordes, paraphrased by Joe, 25:47)

• Bond is not revoked, due to uncertainty created by Joe’s ploy.

4. The Final Robbery and Arrest (27:49–36:36)

The Last Heist (28:00–31:59)

• While a fugitive, Joe aims for “one last job” to leave money with his girlfriend before fleeing the country.
• After robbing a bank in Oxnard, Joe narrowly escapes a pursuing armored car in a high-stakes parking lot chase.

The Endgame: UCLA Campus Standoff (32:01–36:36)

• In hiding near UCLA, Joe tries to blend in among students.
• Suddenly, he’s confronted by an undercover FBI agent in the campus commons. An altercation ensues:

  • "He yells out, 'Help us. We're the FBI.' And I'm like, 'I don't know these people. Stay out of it.' And I realize I sound stupid as soon as I say it." (Joe, 34:29)

• Dozens of students swarm Joe, subduing him until agents can handcuff him.

  • "I just can't move. All the kids just jump on me… I'm swarmed." (Joe, 35:19)

• Joe realizes his run is over and grieves his fate and loss of freedom.

  • "That was it. Man. They got me. They got me." (Joe, 36:21)

Notable Quotes & Moments, with Timestamps

• "Money stinks. Money fucking stinks." – Joe (04:42)
• "I was already an asshole... I was a bad person in society. I decided to up my game by putting my aunt's house in jeopardy." – Joe (18:38)
• "You want to know why we stopped you? We stopped you for being ugly and Norwalk." – Anonymous officer (10:14)
• "She told him no. I was like, oh my God, this guy is so bad." – Joe (20:39)
• "Help us. We're the FBI." – Undercover agent; "I don't know these people. Stay out of it." – Joe (34:29)
• "I just can't move. All the kids just jump on me... I'm swarmed." – Joe (35:19)
• "That was it. Man. They got me. They got me." – Joe (36:21)

Segment Timestamps

• [02:43] – Joe on dirty money and counting $50,000
• [05:00–16:55] – Cerritos heist, chase, and arrest
• [18:35–26:10] – Recruiting a double for the heists; comic botched robbery; near miss with the FBI
• [27:49–31:59] – The final robbery in Oxnard and nerve-wracking escape
• [32:01–36:36] – UCLA campus, final confrontation, and arrest

Tone & Style

• Language: Candid, streetwise, and often laced with dark humor; explicit at times.
• Mood: Adrenaline-fueled, tense, and introspective, with a sharp sense of irony and occasional levity.

Summary Takeaways

• Joe’s criminal career was as much about deception and improvisation as violence or threat.
• Even in moments of high tension and danger, Joe reflects on the absurdity and filth—both literal and moral—of the lifestyle he clung to.
• In the end, the episode exposes not only the tactics and near misses of a bank robbery spree, but also the personal costs, betrayals, and inevitable reckoning.

Next Episode Preview:
Stay tuned for Episode 6: Life on the Inside, focusing on Joe’s experiences after his arrest and the consequences of his criminal life.