Sheriff Doolittle announces nearly two dozen arrests of ‘bank-jugging’ crews thanks to multi-agency operation

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle’s latest initiative has been to address the latest disturbing criminal trend known as ‘bank jugging,’ where thieves, burglars, and robbers – sometimes under the threat of violence – stake out banks to find customers who make cash transactions and follow their victims to their homes, offices, or stops along the way.

After a three-month operation that included undercover work, ‘bait cars,’ drones, and rapid response by law enforcement, Sheriff Doolittle held a joint press conference with the other leaders of the task force, including Colonel Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, and Montgomery County 1st Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley. Also present at the conference to speak was Woodlands Township Chairman Brad Bailey. Other members of The Woodlands Township arrived to represent and support the operation, including Richard Franks, Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, and Dr. Ann Snyder.

Sheriff Doolittle proudly announced at the press conference that the quarter-long operation netted 21 arrests of individuals involved in organized bank-jugging crews operating across Montgomery and Harris County. Many of those arrested were violent offenders with extensive criminal histories or were on parole or probation. One suspect in particular stood out when arrested for being out on two bonds and still wearing a Harris County Court-ordered ankle monitor at the time of his offense.

Before the task force, noted Doolittle, there were approximately 100 bank-jugging incidents in Montgomery County. Besides the task force and ongoing operations being used to substantially lower this number, Mike Holley from District Attorney Brett Ligon’s office noted that, effective September 1, the crime of bank-jugging – which has traditionally been viewed as burglary of a car, a misdemeanor – will now be recognized as a state jail felony. Even in the absence of an actual break-in or robbery, a suspected bank-jugger found with two or more criminal instruments can be charged with felonious conduct.

“Today’s results send a powerful message: those who come into our communities to commit violent crimes will be met with unified force,” said Sheriff Doolittle. “This is the kind of success we achieve when agencies work side by side. Together, we are better.”

Some key comments from the speakers at the conference included:

This is The Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Houston PD and more recognizing a problem, working with members of the Texas Legislature to pass a bipartisan bill that came out of both committees, the House and the Senate, with Republicans and Democrats united. It was unanimous to increase the penalties on jugging, because these are the worst of the worst that we need to take off the streets. So we’re thankful for the legislature. And for those that don't know we’re in Montgomery County right now – and some of these cases that were filed in Hungry County – I can tell you that these criminals obviously don't know the name Brett Ligon, because the last place you want to get charged with a felony is in Montgomery County, Texas. They will be held accountable. It doesn’t matter if you’re Republican or Democrat, or you’re a big city or a small town. These are the kind of criminals that Republicans, Democrats, every one of us, the people that are on our juries and grand juries, these are the people that we want to get off the streets.
Colonel Freeman Martin, Texas Department of Public Safety

So know that this Police Department, along with our partners at the sheriff’s offices, are working every single night, every single day to make sure that the communities that we serve are safe from these kinds of criminals. It’s like a hunting party. That’s how I can describe it. And they’re very sophisticated. They are surveilling you when you’re going about your daily business. So as police agencies and departments, we’re going to tackle them, we’re going to provide resources, and I can’t thank the partnership with DPS, the Sheriff’s Office – both in Harris County and Sheriff Doolittle – enough. They do amazing work. We communicate weekly. So know that our response is going to be tough.
Chief Noe Diaz, Houston Police Department

We want to make sure that we send a collective message that we are working together and we’re going to continue to hunt you down. We’re going to make sure that you stop preying on people I know collectively, and I speak personally when I say it really, really upsets me to think that these individuals, these chronic offenders are out there just hurting people. These victims are people we all know we could all relate to. All of us. We all have family members. We go to the bank; it could be just to draw some money for a gift, it could be for an important payment, it could be to help a loved one or a family member, you name it. This is hard earned money. And for people to be out there preying on them instead of getting a job, instead of doing the right thing and following the law, they’re out there committing these crimes. That’s inexcusable when they need to be held accountable. And so law enforcement is doing their part.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Harris County

I think this effort is a great, great way to educate our community. I thank the press for being here and reporting on it because there are a lot of bad actors out there. This is something that is very organized, it’s very targeted, and they’re looking at communities like The Woodlands Township to make sure they execute those those crimes. Thank God we’ve got men and women in law enforcement leading the effort on this, but it’s really, really important that we make sure we get this educational component out because it’s not going to stop.
Brad Bailey, Chairman, The Woodlands Township

We want to make the cost of doing this particular business so high that bank-juggers don’t do it. That’s what we're looking for. So if somebody's following you and they take that money out of your car, that is changed from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony. That’s very significant. If you're robbed – and I'm not saying like an aggravated robbery with a gun in your face – but somebody pulls something out of your hand and it causes you pain, or they threaten you in a way that you suddenly give up that withdrawal envelope from your purse, that is now a first degree felony. I’m going to say this again: law enforcement in this county and in Harris County, every man and woman, they have the skill, they have the will. They have the courage to protect you and I, but they need the right tools. And beginning September 1st, that tool will be in place. That we can arrest and we can prosecute. To that end, I would say Mr. Ligon is committed fully to faithfully and to fiercely prosecuting anybody who commits this offense. To keep you as safe as the men and women in uniform can do that for us.
1st Assistant Mike Holley, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office

Minimizing your chances of being a victim is important. So look at your surroundings. If someone is sitting in a vehicle backed into a parking spot and you’re walking out of the bank, that might be a problem. You may turn around, walk right back in the bank where there may be a security officer or police officer. You may be able to call 911. Let us know that there’s a problem so we can get to you quickly. To hide the money that you're withdrawing, maybe in your pocket, in your purse, not walking out with a bank bag or just communicating that you have just made a withdrawal. These important things can mitigate the chances of you being a victim by just preparing a little bit, not establishing patterns when you withdraw money for your payroll, when you deposit money in the bank that you’ve collected, thinking about these things, and just listening to what we’re doing here, reading about this, educating yourself about. it and minimizing your chances of being a victim.
Wesley Doolittle, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office

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