Homer Van Meter
| Homer Van Meter | |
|---|---|
FBI mug shot of Homer Van Meter
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| Born |
Homer Virgil Van Meter December 3, 1905 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 23, 1934 (aged 28) St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Criminal charge | Drunk and disorderly conduct, larceny, motor vehicle theft, armed robbery |
| Criminal penalty | Imprisonment from January to December, 1924; 1925 to 1933 (paroled) |
Homer Virgil Van Meter (December 3, 1905 – August 23, 1934) was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
Van Meter was born to Cary B. Van Meter (1871–1918) and Julia Miller (1872–1924) in 1905 (according to other sources December 3, 1906) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the son of an alcoholic railroad conductor. During the sixth grade, Van Meter ran away from home, eventually ending up in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a bellhop and a waiter.
He was arrested for the first time as a teenager, for drunk and disorderly conduct. In Aurora, Illinois, on June 23, 1923, Van Meter was sentenced to 41 days in jail for larceny. On January 11, 1924, he was sentenced for motor vehicle theft and incarcerated in Menard Correctional Center. At the time of his admission, he had a tattoo reading "HOPE" on one forearm and a case of syphilis.
Van Meter was paroled in December 1924. Three months later, he teamed up with an old cellmate to rob the passengers of a train in Crown Point, Indiana. He was caught and convicted of the crime, and received a sentence of 10 to 21 years, to be served in the Pendleton Reformatory.
While in Pendleton, Van Meter met John Dillinger and Harry Pierpont. Whereas Van Meter befriended Dillinger, he and Pierpont openly despised each other, largely because of Van Meter's clowning antics and demeanor. On July 28, 1925, Van Meter's repeated joking and violation of Pendleton rules earned him a transfer to the state prison at Michigan City.
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