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Following in the footsteps of big Hollywood heist films, Wayne Clark allegedly recruited each man for his individual talents.
Steven Kent Hogge was reportedly the big man — strong enough to easily lift the target: a 250-pound, 3-foot-tall floor safe containing $200,000.
Epifanio Anthony Lee Welch had criminal ties, could break into safes and had ways to dispose of the evidence.
Clark's cousin, Joshua Cameron Watts, had inside information about the intended victim.
But they later encountered three little problems: A family member who would betray them, a detective determined to solve the largest financial heist of her career, and a victim determined to see the alleged thieves get lengthy prison sentences.
"We're just kind of going, 'Are you kidding?' " said West Bountiful police Sgt. Corie Hamilton, the detective on the case. "This is like something off a movie. A very bad plot."
It's a nightmare plot for victim Gary Turley, who was allegedly betrayed by his new in-laws: Watts, his son-in-law's brother; and Clark, the son-in-law's cousin.
Turley, a 52-year-old independent business owner who distrusts banks, had thought his life-savings would be secure inside a large, heavy floor safe hidden in the depths of his West Bountiful home. Over the course of 20 years, Turley had carefully saved his pennies, which slowly grew into a giant nest egg that was supposed to pay off his mortgage and leave a little left over.
He said he had planned to pay off his mortgage the week after the safe was stolen in September. But police say there's little chance of recovering most of the money.
"I really feel bad for Gary," Hamilton said. "He's just a solid, nice man. Hard worker. To have this happen … is just tragic."
At first, the heist must have seemed foolproof. Clark, 24, and Watts, 19, allegedly learned Turley's nest egg was ripe for the taking after Turley's daughter and prospective son-in-law told them about it and discussed stealing it.
But by the time of their wedding in late August, the newlyweds had backed out of the deal, court papers state. Clark and Watts, however, decided to go forward with their plans, police allege.
Police allege Clark and Watts picked a day when they knew Turley would be away. Hogge, 41, and Watts allegedly loaded the safe onto a dolly and maneuvered it through Turley's narrow hallways and out the door, denting walls and rearranging furniture in the process. Hogge then loaded it into a van, while Clark served as lookout, court records showed.
Realizing he needed help to open the safe, Clark allegedly called his uncle who operated a shop in Midvale and was willing to provide the necessary tools for $2,000, records show. The uncle hasn't been charged, but Hamilton acknowledged police are still trying to identify him.
The trio hit paydirt when they finally forced open the safe. Hogge told police that in one drawer were three stacks of $50,000 in $100 bills, as well as keys and titles to vehicles. Each of the three allegedly took a stack of cash and reportedly split the remaining $26,000 — so each walked away with roughly $58,000, according to Hogge's written confession to police.
Clark allegedly later recruited Welch, 35, to open the other drawer of the safe and paid him with $2,500 and other contents from the safe. Welch then allegedly sold the safe for scrap metal, burned all the papers — including birth certificates, vehicle titles and Social Security information — and sold Turley's silver coins to a coin shop, which disposed of them.
But then their seemingly perfect plan began to unravel.
When Turley's daughter and son-in-law learned of the heist, they told police of their suspicions. Detectives used the information to build a case, charge the quartet of burglars with felonies and recover some of the stolen cash.
Law enforcement authorities dug up about $25,000 from Hogge's backyard and believe his wife, who has not been charged, spent another $18,000 on a car, jewelry and credit card bills.
As for Clark, Welch and Watts, Hamilton believes they quickly burned through their portions of the money.
Watts' defense attorney, Mark Arrington, said his client maintains his innocence.
None of the other defendants' attorneys returned messages seeking comment. Turley's daughter and son-in-law, who have not been charged, could not be reached for comment.
But the case — and Turley's decision to press charges — has sparked a feud between Turley and his daughter's new family.
"It's just a big mess," Turley said. "What am I supposed to do? Go out with that family and enjoy things? I always thought it was supposed to be a joyous time, and this is what the family does to you."
Instead of celebrating the birth of his new grandchild, Turley is attending court hearings. And instead of smiling wedding photos hanging on his fridge, there are victim-advocate letters reminding him of future court dates.
Obsessed with receiving justice, Turley makes sure he is sitting in the courtroom each time one of the defendants has a hearing, even if it means waiting there for hours.
"I want it to be personal instead of just a number in the system," he said of the criminal case. "Now, I'm not just a number on a piece of paper for the judge."
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