O’FALLON, MO – A suspected gang member has been charged after allegedly stealing $94,000 in a crime trend known as “bank jugging.” Authorities report that individuals from Houston, Texas, traveled to O’Fallon, Missouri, to carry out the theft.
The crime, which has been emerging across the nation over the past year, involves targeting individuals who withdraw large sums of money from banks or ATMs. In this instance, the suspects waited for an ATM repairman at a Bank of America location on Fallon Loop Road. As the repairman worked on the machine, the suspects approached, forced him to the ground, and threatened him with a weapon, demanding he remain still.
According to Sergeant Brian Carr, the suspects had earlier disabled a different ATM in St. Louis, prompting a service call that allowed them to follow the repairman to various locations. When the repairman arrived at the O’Fallon ATM, the suspects seized the opportunity to access the cash inside.
The probable cause statement indicates that the suspects stole more than $94,000. Bank of America declined to comment on the incident. Sergeant Carr noted that while such crimes are rare in O’Fallon, they are more common in Houston, where authorities have been dealing with numerous “jugging” cases and have issued warnings on social media.
The suspect, identified as Farewelled Bembry, is believed to be part of a Houston-based gang. Bembry is currently in custody in Houston on unrelated charges, including driving while intoxicated and evading arrest, following his booking last week.