It’s 1990, in Ottawa, Canada. Curtis is about to make one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He’s planning to use his father’s gun to rob a bank.

Curtis visits the bank every day for a week. He’s trying to decide what is the best time to make his move. The 24-year-old doesn’t realize that he’s recorded on video tape every time he walks into the bank. After the Royal Canadian Mounted Police review the tapes, as they do after every bank robbery, Curtis’ image will be recorded for identification.

The night before the intended robbery Curtis goes over to his parents’ home for supper. While mom and dad are busy in the kitchen, Curtis slips into his parents’ bedroom, opens dad’s dresser drawer, and steals the gun that’s always kept there.

The next day Curtis uses his dad’s gun to hold up the bank. He leaves with two canvas money bags loaded with $6,000. Security tapes show Curtis as both "frequent visitor" and holdup guy. In short order the Mounties identify Curtis and later burst into his apartment and get their man. The holdup weapon is seized as evidence.

Curtis gets eight years in prison. If he behaves, he may be out in time to celebrate the new century. Hopefully he’ll have learned an important lesson—examine the gifts you already have before you start wishing for something else.

Curtis had no need to rob the bank. He stole $6,000, but paid a high price for it. What gift did Curtis already have? He had his Dad’s gun that he used to hold up the bank.

You see, that was no ordinary gun. It was a .45-caliber Colt semi-automatic made by the Ross Rifle Company back in 1918. This limited edition antique firearm was valued at $100,000, more than 16 times the value of the stolen money.

For Curtis’ misdeed Canada made him pay six years of his young life. Canada, on the other hand, gained a valuable relic to display in a provincial museum. As a weapon used in the commission of a crime, the gun would never be returned to its owner.