A Houston resident has been sentenced to federal prison following a series of ATM thefts across the Eastern District of Texas, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Coby Stephon Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and received a sentence of 57 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 11, 2025. Williams is also required to pay $89,032 in restitution.
Court documents indicate that between June 2020 and June 2024, Williams participated in a crime spree known as “Hook and Chain” burglaries. The method involved stealing trucks, attaching hooks and chains, and using them to forcibly remove ATM doors in order to access cash inside the machines. Several burglaries occurred throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including incidents at Texas Bank on South Preston Road in Prosper, BB&T on Legacy Drive in Frisco, and First United Bank in Pottsboro. Authorities estimate the conspiracy resulted in about $363,000 stolen and at least $250,000 in property damage.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” said officials.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI along with Fort Worth Police Department and Pottsboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson prosecuted the case.
