Texas' new felony jugging law hits multiple Harris County suspects

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Texas' new jugging law has multiple people in Harris County facing felony charges in Harris County after their arrests with their combined bonds reaching more than $300,000.

The law went into effect on Sept. 1, and suspects can now face felony charges.

Harris County felony jugging arrests

On Friday, Joe Washington and Jonathan Earl Williams were both arrested by the Houston Police Department.

According to court documents, Washington and Williams followed a man from Wells Fargo. Officials learned the men had masks and a broken key/window punch.

Washington's bond is set at $45,000, while Williams' bond is at $20,000.

Joshua Thornton was also arrested on Friday and charged with jugging. Court records claim he followed another man's home from Wells Fargo Bank with the intent to steal money from him. Thornton allegedly had a license plate flipper and a piece of tape over his vehicle's VIN. His bond is set at $65,000.

Curtis Odigie was another suspect charged in the same incident alongside Thornton. On Monday, his bond was set to $200,000.

According to court documents, Odigie was out on bond in Brazoria County for credit card abuse and fraud use.

‘Jugging’ is a criminal offense in Texas

House Bill 1902, was signed into law recently and went into effect on Sept. 1. The law officially creates the criminal offense of jugging under Section 29.04 of the Texas Penal Code and enhances penalties for suspects who stalk and target individuals after they make withdrawals from financial institutions.

Previously, suspects could only be charged with burglary or robbery. Now, jugging is its own crime and can carry steeper penalties if the offense escalates.

What they're saying:

The law came amid a rise in jugging cases across the Houston area. In March, Tony says he was followed from a Navy Federal Credit Union branch in Katy to his home in Fort Bend County. The suspects broke into his car and stole $5,500 in cash.

"I assume someone had to be inside to get what I was doing," Tony said. "I worked hard for that money. I paid taxes on that money. Not even five minutes later, I come back, and my windows are shattered."

Houston Police Sgt. Tracy Hicks with the department’s Auto Theft Crimes Task Force says jugging incidents have been increasing.

"It has gone up over the years," Hicks said. "Sometimes somebody might work at the bank, or they might have a spotter inside the bank looking to see what you're up to."

Dig deeper:

Under the new law, jugging is classified as a state jail felony. But if the crime involves a break-in or robbery, it can be upgraded to a third- or even first-degree felony, carrying the possibility of a much longer sentence.

"Now there will actually be additional charges or higher charges for people who target these people," Hicks said. "Be aware of other people in the bank who are interested in what you're doing — even if you're just using the cash back at a grocery store."