A distinct and destructive method of stealing cash—literally ripping the doors off bank machines with heavy-duty chains—has landed a Houston man in federal prison for nearly five years.
Coby Stephon Williams, 27, appeared before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on Thursday, where he was sentenced to 57 months behind bars. The sentencing follows Williams’ guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bank theft, bringing an end to his involvement in a string of high-impact burglaries across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
According to federal prosecutors, Williams was part of a crew executing “Hook and Chain” burglaries between June 2020 and June 2024. The strategy was crude but effective: the group would steal a truck, attach hooks and heavy chains to the vehicle’s hitch, and secure the other end to an ATM. By flooring the gas, they would tear the machine’s door clean off, allowing them to access the cash cassettes inside…