From his conversation, I learned that the big crook was after the manuscript but had not found it.

Blofeld is described simply as 'the biggest crook in the world'.

Out of my experience I should say he was the big crook.

He had a whining habit of calling bigger crooks "chief."

Truth of the matter is he's probably the biggest crook in the world.

In short, Cadbury was a big enough crook to recognize a bigger one.

All the while, the big crook of the lot had been in readiness.

He was a bigger crook than all these guys put together.

The biggest crooks of all are in the government.

I thought back then that he was one of the biggest crooks I'd ever met.