Ken Leishman

Kenneth Leishman
Born(1931-06-20)June 20, 1931
Holland, Manitoba, Canada
DiedDecember 14, 1979(1979-12-14) (aged 48)
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Mechanic, Door-to-door salesman, Thief

Kenneth Leishman (June 20, 1931 – December 14, 1979), also known as the Flying Bandit or the Gentleman Bandit was a Canadian criminal responsible for multiple robberies between 1957 and 1966. Leishman was the mastermind behind the largest gold theft in Canadian history.[1] This record stood for over 50 years, until it was surpassed by the Toronto Pearson airport heist in 2023. After being caught and arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Leishman managed to escape twice, before being caught and serving the remainder of his various sentences.[2]

In December 1979, while flying a Mercy Flight to Thunder Bay, Leishman's aircraft crashed about 40 miles (64 km) north of Thunder Bay.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Winnipeg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Barnes 2008, pp. 104–110.
  3. ^ "Presumed dead, Flying Bandit 'alive'." The Montreal Gazette, September 26, 1980.