"Barbie Bandits" Ringleader Gets 10 Years

Man, 28, Guilty Of Plotting With Young Women To Steal $11,000 From Ga. Bank

(AP)  A man convicted of being the mastermind behind the so-called "Barbie Bandits" bank theft was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison.

Michael Chastang's term was added to the 15 years he already is serving on drug charges.

"For the theft, you used the others," Superior Court Judge Mary Staley told him. "You orchestrated it. You sat in the back and put the pawns out to do it."

Chastang, 28, who was convicted of theft, plotted with Heather Johnston, Ashley Miller and teller Benny Allen III to steal $11,000 from an Acworth supermarket branch of Bank of America on Feb. 27, 2007.

Johnston and Miller became known as the "Barbie Bandits" after they were caught on videotape, in sunglasses and laughing as they appeared to rob the bank.

In plotting the theft, Chastang put the young women in touch with the teller, who was part of the scheme, authorities said.

The judge sentenced Miller, 19, on Monday to two years in jail. Johnston, also 19, was sentenced to 10 years' probation, getting a lighter sentence because she was the first to cooperate with the investigation.

Allen got five years in jail.

The judge noted that Chastang has a criminal record including drug, firearms and weapons charges going back seven years and said the 10-year sentence is "certainly well-deserved."

[keithle1]

Average-looking women. A dime a dozen. Millions of boring women just like these all over the USA.

Take their clothes off & throw ''em in the exercise yard at San Quentin. Let the boys use ''em. Reduce stress & anger for a day or two. Men have "needs." Guards can look the other way.

Bet they won''t be laughing then.

[bethyale]

Oh well yeah thank goodness. Wheeeew. 10 years safe from this guy. Wheeeeeew. I sure hope they make room for this bloodyfanged degenerate by making an early release happen for a child molester or an armed robber. Wheeeeeew. Glad to know some murderers only get 2-5 under the right circumstances but justice sure has been served here boy howdy. 10 whole years for 11,000 dollars but you can fondle the neighbors 4 year old and get probation. Yeah boy. Good going **********.

[keithle1]

Intelligence is not prized in young women so they don''t cultivate. Looks & *** appeal are. They know what men want. Listen to girls/young women talk.
It''s positively PAINFUL, people.

[guysdigdirt]

Whatever happend to equal crime- equal time?

[rational_1]

The judge should have given each of the girls in the picture an extra 5 years for stupidity. Nice glasses girls - they''re doing such a fine job of hiding your identities. You''re real pros at this I see; obviously ready for Ocean''s 14.

[whatithink-2009]

DaVicar2,

I don''t know about you, but those mug shots don''t look so pretty.

[dredre2k]

Why didn''t the girls get the same sentence? They actually committed the CRIME... but the guy who masterminds gets 10 years because he made the "barbies" do such TERRIBLE things to society...
hmmm...

[whatithink-2009]

Wow, what crazy sentences. The courts have gone crazy. They should have all received the same time thing. Something is wrong here.

[keithle1]

Excuse me. $11,000 divided by four! Weren''t these girls strippers? That''s nothing for a stripper in a busy club.

[keithle1]

All that for $11,000? Divided by three... The "mastermind"?

[jjarden]

How Nice & Fair this is...The Men Get Hard Time and the Cute Female, who actually did the holdup, get''s probation. What''s WRONG with this picture. Come on People...WHEN are we going to take back our Country and Judicial System?...This unfairness toward MEN is an OUTRAGE.

[shanev137]

The male bank teller gets 5 years in jail, the one girl gets 2 years, and the other girl gets none.

As usual, for the same crime committed, the women get less jail time than the men.

So much for equal rights under the law.

[iceman_1960]

"Barbie Bandits" Ringleader Gets 10 Years"
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He should share a cell with that "Girls Gone Wild" filmmaker.