County Cops: Cash Advance Clowns’ Costumes, Carelessness Caused Capture
By Paul RizzoPayday Loan Writer
The Times believes it speaks for everyone involved in the recent case of Arizona payday loan robberies when it asks the following question: Just what the heck were those clowns thinking?
In the end, it was a big red clown nose found in a towed vehicle that led to the arrest of the notorious "cash advance clowns," suspects dressed in clown suits with face paint and wigs during a series of recent payday loan store robberies.
According to the Tucson Citizen, the local Sheriff's Department said a man and three women were arrested. Michael C. Lipscomb, 20, was charged with multiple crimes: aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated robbery and armed robbery. Keianna S. Jamison, 18, was booked on charges of burglary, aggravated robbery and armed robbery.
Rounding out this insane clown posse were Lacarol R. Jamison, 20, arrested on charges of armed robbery, and Meika Marie Johnson, 32, booked on charges of aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated robbery and armed robbery.
Tucson police were doing a follow-up investigation on a car towed to a private storage lot that matched the description of a getaway car in some of the fast payday loan robberies.
Detectives spotted a big red clown nose in plain view in the car. Officers tracked down the four and interviewed and arrested them shortly after. In the most recent robbery, a man entered ACE Cash Advance, 3955 E. Speedway Blvd., just before noon Wednesday, Tucson police said.
Wearing white makeup and a red wig, the suspect was armed with a gun and demanded money before fleeing with an undisclosed amount.
The first of the string of crimes involving pay day loans came back on the 10th of August at the Check 'N Go of Arizona, 4485 N. First Ave. In that case a pregnant clerk was held captive for 15 minutes while the robbers waited for a safe's time lock to open.
The Payday Loans at Loan Mart, 5095 N. La Cañada Drive, was robbed August 17, the Pima County Sheriff's Office says. The two suspects also wore white makeup and red wigs.
Dorer and Harkins said members of the group also are charged with a July 24 robbery at a Whataburger at 6504 E. 22nd St., and an August 8 attempted holdup at a Payday Loans at Loan Mart at 3901 E. Grant Road. Clown costumes were not worn in those cases and the August 8 robbery failed when a clerk locked himself in a back room.
Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Gary Anderson said the cash advance clowns are also under investigation in connection with an earlier sandwich shop robbery in Marana, Ariz. Throughout the spree, detectives say Lipscomb and Johnson were the ones dressed in clown suits.
In the August 8 payday loan robberies, the robbers shot clerks with BB guns, inflicting minor injuries. All we can say is thank goodness the cash advance clowns are off the streets. The Times would like to thank the law enforcement community for their hard work.
