It sounds like this guy never committed another crime (except to keep his identity hidden), and was a productive member of society for decades. If so, then what was the point of locking him up for 5 years? Who did that help?<p>I think the inability to just disappear has a lot to do with increasing recidivism. If you can't wipe your record clean, and are always going to be tarnished, then why bother following the rules?
Since it appears that nobody was physically injured by his theft, I really feel the stature of limitations should apply here. Nobody is better off by his extradition, imprisonment, and exile.<p>Nonviolent bank robbery is pretty low on the social ills scale. That opinion will annoy a lot of people, but get back to me when white-collar crime is prosecuted with the same enthusiasm. This guy is being made an example of for political reasons, nothing more. His crime is to have broken the rules that were designed to keep him in his place in the working class.