He promised her the Moon — and meant it.
Greater than 23 years in the past, NASA intern Thad Roberts hatched a daring plan to steal 17 kilos of moon rocks and a meteorite from Houston’s Johnson Area Heart — priceless samples from each Apollo mission, locked in a 600-pound protected and valued at $21 million, in keeping with the FBI.
Solely 24 years outdated with a triple main in physics, geology, and geophysics on the College of Utah, with a spouse he was supporting again in Utah, and financially struggling, Roberts thought his plan was foolproof.
Step one was discovering a purchaser. With assist from buddy Gordon McWhorter, Roberts related on-line with a possible Belgian purchaser prepared to pay $1,000 to $5,000 per gram.
The customer, nonetheless, grew suspicious and alerted the FBI, who instructed him to maintain speaking whereas they investigated.
Round this time, he met Tiffany Fowler, a 22-year-old NASA intern conducting stem cell analysis.
Their friendship shortly grew to become romantic, and after three weeks, they moved in collectively. When Roberts revealed his plan, Fowler agreed to assist.
They recruited one other NASA intern, Shae Saur, and one evening the trio used their NASA IDs to slide into the Johnson Area Heart, making off with the whole protected.
Again on the resort, they cracked it open with an influence noticed.
On July 20, 2002—the thirty third anniversary of the primary moon touchdown—Roberts and Fowler drove to Orlando to satisfy relations of the Belgian purchaser.
Whereas ready, Roberts positioned moon rocks beneath the mattress covers, later claiming the couple had “intercourse on the moon” as a symbolic gesture.
“I take a number of the moon rocks and I put them beneath the blanket on the mattress… I by no means mentioned something however I’m positive she may really feel it,” he instructed CBS Information in 2012.
“It was extra in regards to the image of what we have been doing, mainly having intercourse on the moon. It’s extra uncomfortable than not, however it wasn’t in regards to the consolation at that time. It was in regards to the expression. And nobody had ever had intercourse on the moon earlier than. I believe we are able to safely say that.”
Once they met with the supposed patrons, they have been as a substitute greeted by undercover FBI brokers. The moon rocks have been recovered from their resort room, although the FBI reported they have been now “just about ineffective to the scientific neighborhood” and that the heist destroyed three a long time of handwritten analysis notes by a NASA scientist.
After his arrest, Roberts admitted to additionally stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Pure Historical past Museum in Salt Lake Metropolis.
When requested why he stole the moon rocks, Robert instructed CBS Information he “wasn’t” taking a look at it like stealing on the time.
“We weren’t going to take this cash we have been getting from it to go purchase a yacht or a lot of vehicles or a giant home. We have been gonna stay simply the small sort of way of life we have been, however fund science which may change the world, you recognize?” he mentioned.
Ultimately, Roberts, Fowler, and Saur all pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property.
Roberts was sentenced to eight years in federal jail, serving six. Fowler and Saur every obtained 180 days of home arrest and 150 hours of neighborhood service.
McWhorter, convicted at trial, was given six years in jail.
Roberts and Fowler by no means noticed one another once more.
