Learn the truth behind Netflix's hit documentary How to Rob a Bank, and what it left out

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, December 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the 1990s, Seattle was captivated by a prolific bank robber known as "Hollywood," a man who used theatrical prosthetics to steal over $2.3 million while evading the FBI for years. Now, Steven Meyers, the artist who helped build the robber’s legendary fortress and served as his trusted accomplice, breaks his silence in The Treehouse: The True Story of Hollywood the Bank Robber. Published by Spines, this gripping memoir offers the definitive insider’s perspective on the crime spree that inspired the recent Netflix hit documentary How to Rob a Bank.

While the world knows Scott Scurlock as the charismatic "Hollywood Bandit", Steven Meyers knew him as the visionary builder of a three-story treehouse hidden deep in the woods of Olympia, Washington. In The Treehouse, Meyers details how a sanctuary built for freedom became the headquarters for one of American history’s most audacious criminal enterprises. Meyers, a talented sculptor, was drawn into Scurlock's orbit not by greed, but by the gravitational pull of a life lived without boundaries—a life that spiraled from bohemian idealism into high-stakes felony.

The book takes readers beyond the headlines and into the van during the getaway chases. Meyers recounts the meticulous planning of the heists, the adrenaline of monitoring police scanners, and the surreal dichotomy of their existence: spending days expanding their whimsical treehouse and nights laundering illicit cash in Las Vegas. The narrative crescendos with the tragic Thanksgiving Eve shootout in 1996, a chaotic confrontation with the Seattle Police and FBI that left Scurlock dead and Meyers gravely wounded and facing decades in prison.

The Treehouse is not merely a true-crime thriller; it is a psychological portrait of loyalty, hubris, and the seductive trap of living outside the law. Meyers writes with the raw honesty of a man who has had twenty years in a federal cell to dissect his choices, offering a cautionary tale about the blurred lines between artistic freedom and criminal destruction.

Key Highlights:
- The Insider’s View: The only first-hand account written by a member of the "Hollywood" robbery crew.
- The Fortress: A detailed history of the construction and symbolism of the legendary 60-foot treehouse compound.
- The Takedown: A visceral, minute-by-minute recounting of the final heist and the violent firefight that ended the spree.

"We lived in a world of our own making, suspended in the trees and fueled by adrenaline," says author Steven Meyers. "But the mask eventually slips, and the reality underneath is far more dangerous than the fantasy we created. This book is my confession and my eulogy to a life that burned too bright to last."

“The Treehouse” is available now in print-on-demand and eBook formats.

About the Author Steven Meyers is an artist, sculptor, and writer who chronicled his time as "Kingfish"—the accomplice to the Hollywood Bandit—from within the confines of an 8-by-12-foot federal prison cell. Meyers wrote the original manuscript during the first year of his incarceration, capturing the raw, intricate details of the crimes while they remained crystal clear in his memory.

In a profound turn of events, Meyers has reconciled with his past and forged a close friendship with retired FBI Special Agent Shawn Johnson, the lead investigator who once hunted him. Meyers is currently working directly with Agent Johnson, sharing his original, unedited prison manuscript to help bridge the gap between the outlaw’s experience and the law enforcement perspective, furthering their shared mission to reveal the complete, unvarnished truth of the "Hollywood" robberies.

Book Details:
Title: The Treehouse: The True Story of Hollywood the Bank Robber
Author: Steven Meyers
Publisher: Spines
ISBN: 979-8-89950-984-1
Availability: You can find this book on Amazon and major retailers worldwide.

Published with Spines, an independent platform for professional book production.

Roy Rubanenko
Spines Book Publishing
+1 727-497-7933
email us here

The Treehouse: The True Story of Hollywood the Bank Robber by Steven Meyers | Official Book Trailer

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