JACK CATLIN

Jack Catlin used to be a mercenary in Asia Minor, Libya, and in Angola where he was known as "The Butcher." He came to the US Virgin Islands with a gaudy reputation and a lot of money, where he bought a hotel and casino. About five years after settling in the Virgin Islands, one of his unethical business dealings brought him in contact with Daniel Sims, an accountant from the US. Sims had been hired by US Senator Rhodes to manage $60 million that had been raised for famine relief in Africa, but instead Sims stole the money and arrived in the Virgin Islands with $60 million in diamonds as part of an arrangement with Catlin. Catlin's share was supposed to be $6 million, but he shot and killed Sims and claimed the $60 million in diamonds for himself, keeping them in his private penthouse vault until they could be converted in Amsterdam to a Swiss account.

Smug, arrogant, ruthless, and an expert in martial arts, Catlin wouldn't trust his own mother, and his casino was protected by an elaborate security system and what amounted to a private army of personal guards, including Thomas and Wilson, as well as a personal assistant named Tiffany. His casino was known to be dishonest, and cheating was the only way to assure a win.

MacGyver had arrived in the Virgin Islands at the request of Senator Rhodes. There he met the senator's daughter, Chris, and together they concocted a scheme to steal back the diamonds that Catlin claimed he didn't have. MacGyver entered the casino as a high roller, using loaded dice to make six straight passes at the craps table, rolling seven the hard way and stopping just short of winning $130,000. MacGyver was caught when he tried to dispose of the dice in his drink, but he managed to elude the guards and return the following night with a plan to enter the penthouse. As Chris incited a riot in the casino as a diversion, MacGyver simulated four perfect pitch tones to open the penthouse vault and poured the 200 pounds of diamonds down a drainpipe to his waiting car.

Chris was apprehended after the theft, and Catlin threatened to kill her unless MacGyver returned the diamonds. MacGyver delivered the car with the diamonds in the trunk, which was loaded aboard Catlin's private plane. When MacGyver and Chris locked themselves in the cargo hold with the car, Catlin ordered the plane to climb to 30,000 feet, where the lack of oxygen would kill them. Instead, MacGyver rigged the car with a parachute, and he and Chris safely parachuted the car out of the airplane in mid-flight.

Although Catlin lost the diamonds en route to Amsterdam, whether he ever faced prosecution for the theft or the murder of Daniel Sims is uncertain.

Portrayed by: Vernon Wells

Cross Reference: Nelson, Chris Rhodes, Senator Rhodes, Daniel Sims, Thomas, Tiffany, Virgin Islands, Wilson

Episode Reference: The Heist