The show’s had its fair share of scandals through the years, and some past cast members had close associations with serious crimes. Here’s what to know about Joshua Tel Warner, the cast member who robbed banks.
Joshua Tel Warner, a crew member from ‘Deadliest Catch,’ robbed banks 3 times
Deadliest Catch Season 19 focuses on the fisherman starring in the series, so current fans may not know of Joshua Tel Warner. Warner worked on the F/V Wizard, and he often had confrontations with other crew members while aboard the boat. He also had a dark history that included bank robberies.
Warner first robbed Washington Mutual Bank in Oregon on Oct. 19, 2007, though police missed him at first. After this robbery, he joined Deadliest Catch. Later, on April 3, 2009, he robbed Pacific Continental Bank. Three weeks after his second robbery, he robbed the same bank.
Warner’s time on Deadliest Catch didn’t help him escape his crimes. TV viewers watching the series connected surveillance footage from the banks that the local news aired to the Discovery Channel promos.
After police pulled Warner over for a routine traffic stop on Dec. 31, 2009, police arrested him in connection with the crimes. Upon his arrest, he stayed at the Tazewell County Jail on $30,000 bail.
“I watched the show too,” Detective Jeff Donaca from the Eugene Police Department announced during a press conference, according to CBS News. “I don’t think you can end up on national TV, make a spectacle of yourself, and not end up getting caught for three bank robberies.”
Ultimately, Warner pleaded guilty to three Oregon bank robberies. He received a nine-year prison sentence. Warner also had to repay $2,794 and $8,304 for the 2009 robberies.
Several other stars from the Discovery Channel series faced arrests and legal trouble
While the Deadliest Catch bank robber made headlines, other past stars also had trouble with the law. Former star Jerod Sechrist stole over $1,000 of merchandise from an IKEA store and faced a grand theft charge. Police arrested Sechrist three times in six months.
Previously, Sechrist also had an arrest linked to heroin possession. Several other past Deadliest Catch cast members also had issues with drug use, which Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski told PopCulture.
“It’s harder to find excellent guys,” he explained. “They used to be lined up 12 deep when we were making the crazy rock star money, but now it’s almost easier to mold the ones you have and obviously, there’s, throughout the fleet, there’s addiction problems.”
Current Deadliest Catch Season 19 cast member Sig Hansen also had his low moments. Police arrested him in 2017 after he spit on his Uber driver and kicked the car.
Ex-reality star Josh Harris also found himself in hot water. The Discovery Channel fired Harris after discovering he admitted to sexually assaulting a child as a teenager. The Snohomish County prosecutor charged Josh with one count of Rape of a Child in the First Degree in 1999. Josh also confessed to the acts in 2000.
Jake appeared on the show alongside his later father, Phil, and his brother, Jake.
“We’ve been made aware of this issue,” a Discovery representative told The Sun in 2022. “Josh will not appear in future episodes of this series.”
