HOUSTON – Two men with extensive criminal histories were taken into custody for bank jugging on Wednesday, according to the Houston Police Department.
Bank jugging is when people follow others who have withdrawn money from a bank and try to rob victims of the cash they took out.
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Nakia Willis and Marcelius Jones-Boutte were taken into custody after they followed a bank customer from a bank near the area of FM 1960 and Jones Road to another location in northern Harris County, police said.
After a man withdrew money from the bank, Willis and Jones-Boutte followed his car as it headed to the parking lot of a different business, authorities said.
Jones-Boutte then broke a window of the man’s vehicle while it was parked, stole his money and tried to flee the scene with Willis, authorities said.
Houston police officers were nearby and captured the two men, authorities said.
Both Willis and Jones-Boutte were charged with burglary of a motor vehicle and engaging in organized criminal activity, a third-degree felony, police said.
Each man has a history of prior arrests.
- October 2017 - Willis was found to be in possession of 5.5 grams of crack cocaine, which he hid in his underwear during a traffic stop. A stolen pistol was also recovered. Willis was charged with possession of a controlled substance (4-200 grams) and posted a $20,000 bond.
- March 2018 - Willis and Dalyun Teat followed a man from a Humble area bank in a bank jugging scheme. The two men stalked the man from the bank, burglarized his vehicle and attempted to steal his money. They failed in their attempt and were charged with criminal mischief for damaging the bank customer’s vehicle. Willis posted a $500 bond.
- June 2018 - Willis was charged with prostitution after agreeing to engage in deviant sexual behavior with an undercover police officer during a reverse prostitution investigation.
- April 2017 - Jones-Boutte was charged with criminal mischief after breaking numerous car windows on his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle. He posted a $5,000 bond.
- July 2017 - Jones-Boutte was charged with assault-family member after he slapped and beat a female he was in a dating relationship with. He posted a $5,000 bond.
- August 2017 - Jones-Boutte was charged with assault-family member after striking the same female from his previous case, causing the woman to bleed and suffer facial injuries. He was also charged with violation of a protective order. He posted a $5,000 bond and a $50,000 bond.
- March 2018 - Jones-Boutte was charged with possession of marijuana after being detained in narcotics investigation. He posted a $500 bond.
- September 2018 - Jones-Boutte followed a man from a bank near Woodridge and I-45 in a bank jugging scheme. Jones-Boutte burglarized the man’s vehicle and stole his property. He was charged with burglary of a motor vehicle and posted a $5000 bond.