Two Houston men are accused of traveling to Metro Detroit to rip open an ATM and steal about $138,000 in cash, then heading to Somerset Mall in Troy to spend the money at high-end stores. Federal agents say surveillance footage and phone records helped track their every move.
Federal prosecutors have charged two Texas men who they say drove from Houston to Michigan, stole a pickup truck, and broke open a credit union ATM in Wayne County, before going on a luxury shopping spree hours later.
The robbery happened around 4 a.m. on September 27, 2024, when a stolen Ford F-350 and a silver Nissan Rogue rented in Texas arrived at the bank’s parking lot. Investigators say two of the men wore masks and gloves, then used crowbars, hooks, and heavy chains to rip open the ATM. Darryl Edwards Jr allegedly served as the lookout from the Nissan while the others tore off the front of the machine and grabbed about $138,000 in cash, leaving behind $80,263 in damage.
The F-350 had been stolen earlier that same night from an auto dealership in Roseville. Surveillance cameras caught the suspects taking the truck around 1:45 a.m. and then meeting back up with Edwards near the bank. After the robbery, the group abandoned the pickup and returned to their hotel in the rental vehicle.
Records show Edwards rented the Nissan in Houston on September 24, drove to Michigan, and stayed at a hotel before and after the heist. Phone location data placed him at both crime scenes, and hotel surveillance captured him interacting with the men who stole the truck and carried out the break-in.
Only hours later, the same group arrived at Somerset Mall in Troy around 11 a.m. and stayed until about 5 p.m., paying for designer goods in cash and leaving with multiple shopping bags from high-end retailers. Investigators say mall video shows Edwards walking through the mall with the stolen money and clearly displaying his distinctive neck tattoo, matching his booking photos.
The FBI believes two more suspects took part in the heist and that the group may be connected to other similar ATM and bank thefts across Metro Detroit, involving crews who travel from the Houston area to commit crimes.
Edwards’ criminal record includes felony theft in Texas in 2006, controlled substance offenses in 2009 and 2020, and a drug trafficking conviction in Arizona in 2015.
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