Houston man sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for ‘Hook and Chain’ ATM burglary spree

HOUSTON - A 24-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in a multi-state ATM burglary spree that targeted banks in North Texas and Arizona using stolen trucks and chains and hooks to rip open cash machines, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas. 

Houston man sentenced in Texas ATM burglary spree linked to ‘Hook and Chain’ theft ring

What we know:

Jacobei Townsend, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan to 48 months in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors said Townsend participated in a series of so-called "Hook and Chain" burglaries between August and September 2020. The scheme involved stealing trucks, attaching hooks and chains to the vehicles, and using the force of the trucks to rip doors off ATMs before stealing the cash inside.

Authorities said the burglary spree targeted several financial institutions in Texas and Arizona, including Independent Bank on North Prosper Road and Texas Bank on South Preston Road in Prosper, Texas.

Big picture view:

The case was investigated through the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a federal initiative established under Executive Order 14159 aimed at combating transnational criminal organizations, gangs, human trafficking networks and other violent criminal activity.

The HSTF brings together agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service and U.S. Marshals Service, among others.