House of Mystery Interview: Steven Meyers & FBI Agent Shawn Johnson
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Alan R Warren and Joe Goldberg
Guests from the Netflix Documentary series ‘How to Rob a Bank’ and author of Treehouse, Steven Meyers & FBI Agent Shawn Johnson
A (Alan Warren): Welcome back to House of Mystery. Today, we’re discussing the case How to Rob a Bank, featured in a Netflix documentary. Joining us are Steven Meyers, one of Scott Scurlock’s accomplices, and Shawn Johnson, the FBI agent who helped close the case.
Q: It’s unusual to have both an accomplice and an FBI agent on the same show. How did you two reconnect?
A (Shawn Johnson): We first met about 30 years ago in a courthouse. When the Netflix documentary came out, I reached out to Steven to discuss it. Later, I learned he had written a book, The Treehouse.
I read it, found the new information fascinating, and we started talking more. He eventually visited me in Virginia, and that’s how this collaboration began.
A (Steven Meyers): From my perspective, our first meeting was when I was shot and lying in the street. Shawn approached me then, and I had a strong impression of him—very different from the surrounding chaos. Later, during the debriefing process, we built a professional rapport. Over time, that evolved into mutual respect and eventually a friendship decades later.
Q: What was that initial interaction like during the investigation?
A (Shawn Johnson): It was strictly professional. I made it clear I wasn’t judging him—I just wanted to understand what happened.
A (Steven Meyers): He was professional and straightforward. Compared to others involved, I trusted him. That stayed with me over the years.
Q: Steven, why did you decide to write your book?
A (Steven Meyers): One major reason was the misinformation surrounding the case. I originally wrote the manuscript while in prison, when everything was still fresh in my mind. Later, I realized parts of my work were used in the Netflix documentary without credit. That pushed me further to publish the full story—my version of events and the complete truth as I experienced it.
Q: How is your book different from typical true crime stories?
A (Steven Meyers): It’s written more like a saga or cinematic experience rather than a traditional true crime account. It moves between timelines—particularly between my FBI debriefing and the actual events. Readers see both what I told the FBI and what really happened, which are often very different.
Q: Shawn, from a law enforcement perspective, how did you view the perpetrators at the time?
A (Shawn Johnson): I knew there were at least two people involved and that they were highly organized. They planned meticulously—far beyond typical bank robberies. Over time, they became extremely skilled, leaving little evidence behind. It was one of the most challenging cases I worked on.
Q: Did your perception of them change after meeting Steven?
A (Shawn Johnson): Yes. During the investigation, I only knew “Hollywood,” not Scott Scurlock as a person. Meeting Steven and learning more added depth to what had been just a case.
Q: What’s your opinion of the Netflix documentary?
A (Steven Meyers): It didn’t fully capture who Scott really was. It relied too much on peripheral people who didn’t truly understand him. The deeper story—the complexity, the personality, the real dynamics—was largely missing.
A (Shawn Johnson): There were also inaccuracies, particularly regarding investigative details and who did what. Some credit was misplaced, which was frustrating.
Q: Steven, what do you want readers to take away from your book?
A (Steven Meyers): I want people to understand who Scott Scurlock really was—his personality, his creativity, and his contradictions. More broadly, it shows that people can shape their own path, for better or worse. It’s a story about choices, transformation, and consequences.
Q: Looking back, would you choose a different path?
A (Steven Meyers): It’s hard to separate the experience from who I became. It changed my life in many ways—some positive, some not. I can’t say I’d erase it.
Q: Shawn, how did this case impact you personally?
A (Shawn Johnson): It stayed with me long after it ended. I often reflect on it, especially around the time it happened. It was one of the most significant cases of my career.
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