#63 The Final Heist: From Criminal to Christ - Tyrone Summerall

Jul 25

From childhood, Tyrone Summerall was a habitual thief. If he wanted something and didn't have it, he would just take it. As an adult, Tyrone was eventually sentenced to prison for multiple armed robberies. But as Tyrone was groping through the darkest moments of his life, there appeared a Spark of Hope.

Note: This episode has a direct tie-in with our previous podcast episode, #62 Gangster by Day. Hacker by Night. Then Jesus. - Mike Felch

The following is a summary of the podcast interview above with Tyrone Summerall. Many more details are included in the original podcast episode and we encourage you to listen.

Written by Jace Bower

Tyrone Summerall was one of seven siblings. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother moved the family to Lake Alfred, Florida, in search of a better life. From then on, the children’s relationship with their father became practically nonexistent.

Tyrone’s mother was a hard worker and had tremendous faith in God. As a single mother with seven mouths to feed, she had to depend on God for the family’s provision. When she didn’t have enough to pay the bills, she would pray and God would always provide.

A Stealing Habit

Despite his mother’s resolute faith, Tyrone and his siblings struggled with their poverty. Their father’s absence and the financial strain led Tyrone and his brothers into a habit of stealing. It started with Tyrone stealing from his mother’s pocketbook. He and his brothers began to engage in nearly constant petty theft. Tyrone was first caught in his stealing at the age of eight.

Over the next several years he would be incarcerated or sent to a home for troubled youth, only to return to crime and theft when he got out. He and his brothers earned themselves the nickname “the Summerall boys” and had a notorious reputation for their crimes. They were also dubbed the “cake bandits” by a local paper when they robbed a house and stole a recently-baked cake.

He managed to stay out of trouble with the law long enough to attend high school in his junior year and make the wrestling team. But this success was short-lived.

In 12th grade, Tyrone was caught up in criminal activity again, and this time he was sent to prison for five years.

This time, Tyrone wanted to leave crime for good. He pursued education in the hopes of attending college and walking onto the football team at the University of South Florida. He attended community college when he was released and seemed to be on the right track finally.

Bad Company Corrupts Morals

During this time, Tyrone got a job with his cousin who had started a lawn care business. Tyrone’s cousin was a drug dealer and was also trying to make a transition in his life. Unfortunately, the bad company that Tyrone was exposed to influenced him to once again, return to crime.

Tyrone’s cousin wanted him to work for him selling drugs but Tyrone wasn’t interested. Instead, he offered to use his skills as a thief to his cousin’s advantage. He and his brothers began to engage in armed robbery at a much higher level than their childhood pilfering.

The Summerall brothers were good at what they did. Not only that, but they managed to execute robberies without getting caught. But Tyrone’s mother warned him about a dream she had where he went back to prison. This caused Tyrone to pause his criminal activities for a few weeks but he was soon back at it.

Divine Intervention

Not long after his mother’s warning, Tyrone and his brothers accepted a job to rob $50,000. This robbery would require guns, ammunition, and a determination to accept the risk of death in the case of a gunfight.

The Summerall brothers loaded up their guns and started driving to their destination. They were pulled over for a traffic stop in Georgia and the police searched the car. They found the guns, ammo, and a safe that contained jewelry linking Tyrone to a previously unsolved heist.

The brothers were arrested and locked up. They were released on bond and headed back to Florida. The police put Tyrone and his brothers under surveillance. Finally, they went with their mother to turn themselves in.

God’s Love Reaches Tyrone

All this time, Tyrone had believed in God’s existence but hadn’t bothered to follow Him. In fact, Tyrone had defended Jesus Christ to his Muslim brother right before engaging in an armed robbery! Tyrone’s “god” was permissive of his bad behavior and didn’t make any demands of worship or obedience on him.

This changed when Tyrone returned to jail after turning himself in with his brothers. He shared a cell with a man who he had known previously. Now this man was glowing with the joy of the Lord. Tyrone wanted that same joy. It was during his time in jail that Tyrone felt a powerful impression of God’s Fatherly love for him.

Tyrone started reading the Bible in jail and even started to teach a Bible study. He was being transformed from the inside-out by the word of God.

Crying Out To God For Deliverance

Tyrone cried out to God for deliverance. He wanted God to set him free physically just as He had done spiritually.

God made it clear to Tyrone that he needed to be delivered from his sin before receiving outward deliverance. God continued to show His love to Tyrone through this time, satisfying his heart with the love of a Father that Tyrone had never known.

Tyrone was planning to hire a lawyer to help him get out of prison but he changed his mind after reading 2 Chronicles 16. Tyrone was struck particularly by the story of King Asa, who relied on the king of Syria for protection instead of on God. He was convicted to not hire a lawyer but instead to entrust his release to God who would work for him.

Tyrone prayed fervently for God to work in his situation. He felt God speak to his spirit, saying, “I have delivered you. Continue to follow me.”

One month later, Tyrone’s case got overturned and he returned home.

Walking Away From Shame And Guilt

Now that Tyrone was out of jail, he was free to walk out his newfound faith in even more ways. He began sharing his testimony. At first, he was reluctant because of the shame and guilt of his past. But God made it clear to him that Jesus Christ had taken his shame and guilt on the cross and that Tyrone carried that no more. He walked in utter freedom from the shame and guilt of his past knowing that he was completely forgiven in Christ.

Tyrone applied himself to finding honest work and began to restore his reputation as a hard worker, not a thief. Ephesians 4:28 commands us, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” This is exactly what Tyrone did. Others who had known him in his past crime, including his parole officer and police officers, saw God transform Tyrone from a thief to an honest worker.

Tyrone’s story is an amazing picture of the transformation that occurs in a life when God moves. Since a child, Tyrone had been addicted to stealing and had been living for himself. When God’s love invaded his heart he was completely changed.

God cared for Tyrone personally, robberies and all, and had sent his only Son to die for him and suffer the eternal punishment that he deserved. And best of all, the forgiveness of Tyrone’s sins was a free gift and not something that could be stolen away.

—
Jace Bower is a writer with a passion for justice and biblical principles. He writes at jacebower.com.