back to article Tor-forker Joshua Yabut cuffed for armoured personnel carrier joyride

A cryptocurrency developer, occasional infosec researcher, and National Guardsman has been arrested after joyriding an armoured personnel carrier in what some US news sites are calling a “drug-fuelled rampage”. Joshua Yabut, a Virginian National Guard commander, was arrested after allegedly taking an M577 APC for a ride from …

  1. a_yank_lurker

    An Improvement

    At least did not do what a guy many years ago did in San Diego with a tank.

    Or did he want to reenact 'Stripes'?

  2. FrankAlphaXII

    Commander isn't his rank. He's a First Lieutenant. He's a company commander but that's his billet. He's from some Nasty Girl Sapper battalion's headquarters company. I'm sure stealing an APC and leading Civilian cops on a Chase through Richmond gains some favor from the Sapper Daddy, but not enough because he got caught.

  3. Allan George Dyer
    Paris Hilton

    I'm curious..

    Why do American cop cars form long lines for a chase? This is a particularly fine example, but there are many others, including Hollywood depictions, like the Blues Brothers.

    It reminds me of junior school soccer... everyone chases the ball, with no thought for tactics, position, passing etc. In this case, they could spread out on parallel streets, in case the target turns or to get ahead to form a decent roadblock (OK, can't use a stinger against a tracked vehicle, but maybe borrow a large construction vehicle or two). The ones at the back aren't going to be useful at all, and could go back to their normal patrols (it could be a diversion!). In the worst case, the APC could reverse, and the pack at the front will bunch up and won't be able to escape safely.

    So, why is this long line chase a sensible tactic?

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Re: I'm curious..

      So, why is this long line chase a sensible tactic?

      Hey Maw? Tune to channel 6. I'm on television!

    2. Chairman of the Bored

      Re: I'm curious..

      @Allen George Dyer,

      Good points, the tactics suck. I think what you have going on is a male group bonding experience brought on by the combined influences of testosterone, adrenaline, and endless weeks of boredom and crap duty punctuated by paperwork.

      When something interesting presents itself I think the primal urge to get a piece of the action is far stronger than vague notions of tactics or common sense.

      1. Mike Moyle

        Re: I'm curious..

        "When something interesting presents itself I think the primal urge to get a piece of the action is far stronger than vague notions of tactics or common sense."

        "I want tell you about the town of Stockbridge, Massachusets, where this happened here. They got three stop signs, two police officers, and one police car. But when we got to the "Scene of the Crime" there was five police officers and three police cars, being the biggest crime of the last fifty years, and everybody wanted to get in the newspaper story about it."

        1. Mark 85

          Re: I'm curious..

          And Arlo strikes again. Have an upvote for the memory and for being closer to the truth than most of us realize.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: I'm curious..

          In my town there was a jewelry store robbery. Cops arrived long after the perps were gone, but they did an obligatory search of the area. Cop got his photo in the paper posing for the camera as he points his mean looking assault rifle at a dumpster.

    3. Mark 85

      Re: I'm curious..

      I suspect it's for "backup". If the first car in line is wrecked/knocked out, then the second takes over.

      I remember the OJ chase and they did spread out. Construction vehicles have been used, but even they are much use against armor.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        "If the first car in line is wrecked/knocked out, then the second takes over."

        Or just crash into the first, and all those behind one into another...

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm curious..

      It's so they can all sing C.W. McCall's Convoy.

      Cause we got a little convoy

      Rockin' through the night.

      Yeah, we got a little convoy,

      Ain't she a beautiful sight?

      1. Alistair
        Coat

        Re: I'm curious..

        W/R/T Convoy:

        Actually I was thinking more something from Blues Brothers (original).

        (Okay -- adding to the list, along with the popcorn icon we need a dry white toast icon)

        1. Aladdin Sane

          Re: I'm curious..

          Do you want anything to drink with that?

          1. Fungus Bob

            Re: I'm curious..

            "Do you want anything to drink with that?"

            No, ma'am

        2. Alan Brown Silver badge

          Re: I'm curious..

          "I was thinking more something from Blues Brothers (original)."

          Considering the state of the US car industry at the time (and the reliability of the vehicles), destroying 130+ new cars in that film was a favour to the community.

    5. willi0000000

      Re: I'm curious..

      they all form up behind the leader so they can be there at the end of the "chase" (usually the chasee wrecks or runs on foot).

      then they can all chant"STOP RESISTING!!!!!" while beating the perp . . . unless he's white, of course.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm curious..

      Perhaps because it reminds them of NASCAR ?

      Or because, being America, all they really want is to secure their spot on the shooting range at the end of the pursuit.

    7. Danny 2

      Re: I'm curious..

      Well, two cops per car and they don't know what killpower is in the back of the APC. I admit the tactic makes no sense chasing OJ or whoever, but in this case it does make sense.

      1. Allan George Dyer

        Re: I'm curious..

        @Danny 2 "they don't know what killpower is in the back of the APC" - Sounds like an excellent reason not to get in line for a turkey shoot. It's supposed to be us Brits that are keen on queuing, but even that doesn't extend to a suicide queue.

        Better to get ahead and make sure the APC is surrounded when the occupants get out. If they are unarmed / lightly armed, then tell them they're surrounded, come quietly. If heavily armed, then observe and retreat until adequate resources arrive. Do the cops actually carry anything in patrol cars that can reliably take down a guy in full body armour and equipment?

        In this case, they knew which base the vehicle was from, so did they have any information about how many personnel and guns were missing.

    8. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: I'm curious..

      "So, why is this long line chase a sensible tactic?"

      The sensible tactic is to stay out of his way and let him run out of fuel. They only get something like 4 - 5 miles per gallon of diesel for the M577 and M113. They're also slow, do around 40 MPH (although, I did get an M113 up to 60 MPH once, it was on a *really* long hill).

      Oh, the armor is particularly weak as well. A couple of inches of aluminum is all.

      But, comparing the price of letting him run out of fuel vs the rental of heavy construction equipment and having that equipment getting dented a little, cheaper to let him run out of fuel.

      Then, wait for the heat to convince him to depart the metal box being heated by the sun.

    9. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm curious..

      > Why do American cop cars form long lines for a chase?

      Spares. Have you seen the reliability of American cars?

  4. Pete4000uk

    Well

    'Yabut said the National Guard was his only source of income.'

    Was.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well

      Where he's going he won't need money for 3-5 years, with time off for good behavior.

  5. Chozo
    Black Helicopters

    Tou know somethings hinky when El Reg has more information than the BBC article.

    1. Aladdin Sane

      That's pretty much par for the course.

      1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        That's pretty much par for the course.

        Especially if their "technology editor" is involved. I suspect RCJ's involvement with technology starts and stops with being able to figure out how an iPhone works..

        (His coverage of the Microsoft undersea-module was particularly cringeworthy..)

        1. PerlyKing
          Meh

          Re: BBC technology coverage

          To give RCJ the benefit of the doubt, he's writing for a completely different audience than El Reg. This may give some insight into the technological understanding of the average (or maybe below-average) reader of the BBC's web site.

          1. Alan Brown Silver badge

            Re: BBC technology coverage

            "To give RCJ the benefit of the doubt, he's writing for a completely different audience than El Reg."

            Which would be ok if he was accurate on what he wrote.

            More often than not he writes complete bullshit, which is then regurgitated wholesale because it was on the BBC. They're not doing themselves any favours in the "accurate impartial journalism" stakes by allowing him to to continue being published.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    Wasn't he asserting his constitutional right...

    ... to bear arms? Maybe he should just asked to pay for government fuel.

    1. Aladdin Sane

      Re: Wasn't he asserting his constitutional right...

      It's bare arms. Sun's out, guns out.

  7. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    I didn't know you needed an armoured vehicle to transfer cryptocurrency.

  8. DrXym

    My main takeaway from this

    Is that Sky News doesn't know what the difference is between an APC and a tank, or simply doesn't care if the headline gets more hits.

    As for Private Browsing, gotta wonder how he thought this was a good idea. The stream of tweets on his feed makes it appear premeditated even if they don't explain why he's doing it. I'm sure his defence representation will prominently reference drugs and mental issues.

    1. Roj Blake Silver badge

      Re: My main takeaway from this

      That's actually quite a common thing in the UK media.

  9. John Gamble

    Well

    He seems nice.

  10. Nimby
    Joke

    Just a misunderstanding, sir!

    It said, "bug tracking", but I accidentally read it as, "bug-out in tracks".

  11. handleoclast
    Coat

    Drug-fuelled rampage?

    Really? The last time I tried hiding drugs in the petrol tank the package leaked and the result buggered the engine. If he can run a personnel carrier on drugs then he's a genius.

    Mines the one with the recreational pharmaceuticals in the pocket.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: Drug-fuelled rampage?

      "If he can run a personnel carrier on drugs then he's a genius."

      Chemically or mechanically, maybe, not som much on the financial side though.

      1. handleoclast

        Re: Drug-fuelled rampage?

        not som much on the financial side though.

        Donald J Trump said "Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars." And, for once, it appears that he's right.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: Drug-fuelled rampage?

          "Donald J Trump said "Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars." And, for once, it appears that he's right."

          Still bloody expensive per "gallon" though compared the petrol or diesel.

    2. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Re: Drug-fuelled rampage?

      Well, alcohol is "drugs". Maybe the National Guard is trying to cutted down on dependence on foreign oil.

  12. Spanners Silver badge
    Devil

    Anti SJW fork?

    I'm not entirely clear what that would involve.

    People who claim to be anti-SJW have often seemed to be hard (US) conservatives and not hugely technical beyond guns and car engines.

    1. Jim Mitchell
      Coat

      Re: Anti SJW fork?

      Fork? One suspects this guy belongs in a place with nothing sharper than a spoon.

    2. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: Anti SJW fork?

      "People who claim to be anti-SJW have often seemed to be hard (US) conservatives and not hugely technical beyond pointing guns and wrecking car engines."

      There, FTFY

  13. not.known@this.address

    El Reg 1, world media 0

    M577 is the Tactical Operations Center command variant of the M113.

    It is NOT a fscking tank!

    It's less of a threat than if the muppet had stolen a Caterpillar digger or bulldozer and gone on a rampage with that.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: El Reg 1, world media 0

      A video seemed to show a projection from the top of the vehicle that looked like a forward pointing cannon barrel. With the tracks - that may have led people to assign the name "tank". There have been similar small vehicles classed as "light tanks".

      1. Colabroad

        Re: El Reg 1, world media 0

        Technically a pickup with an MG on the back is a light tank.

        Hence the term "Technical" (or so I was told).

      2. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: El Reg 1, world media 0

        > With the tracks - that may have led people to assign the name "tank".

        Vs something like "armoured personnel carrier" ?

        Maybe he was just hoping to refight the Pentagon Wars.

      3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: El Reg 1, world media 0

        "A video seemed to show a projection from the top of the vehicle that looked like a forward pointing cannon barrel."

        Nope. The most the M577 and M113 carry as TC hatch ordinance is either a MK-19 for the M113 or .50 BMG machine gun for the M577 and all weapons are secured in the arms room after operations.

        Although, the M113 can also carry a 120 mm mortar, it's a lot squatter than the command vehicle.

        Additionally, a tank has armor, the M577 and M113 use around two inches of aluminum for armor. A .50 BMG round would punch right through and ask the occupants for change.

    2. Not That Andrew

      Re: El Reg 1, world media 0

      At least the Grauniad called it "an alleged tank"

  14. disgruntled yank

    SJW

    Are the SJWs he objects to Sober, Judicious Warriors, or perhaps Sound Judgment Warriors?

  15. StuntMisanthrope

    This is medal worthy, surely!

    Don't tell 'em your name. #pike

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    That Twatter post in the article

    has got some pretty good banter. For a bunch of Americans anyway.

  17. 2Fat2Bald

    It isn't a tank, its a mobile command post. It's armour is proof (ish) against light weapons (ie handguns), but other than that its about equivalent to a not-very-efficient earthmover.

    There are no reports of casualties or serious damage, and he was arrested peacefully. Sounds like the police handled it pretty well. I wonder how many of those pursuing cars were military police?

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