Four Houston street gang members convicted in federal Beaumont ATM technician robberies and jugging conspiracy case
Federal convictions follow 2024 robberies that targeted cash servicing work at Beaumont financial institutions
Four Houston men described by federal authorities as members of a criminal street gang have been convicted in a conspiracy tied to two rapid, daytime robberies of ATM repair technicians in Beaumont and related “jugging” thefts carried out in late 2024.
Charles Bernard Byrd, 34, was found guilty by a federal jury on March 5, 2026, after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Beaumont. The jury convicted Byrd of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and aiding and abetting bank robbery. Three co-defendants pleaded guilty before trial: Kendrick Douglas Warren, 38; Derrick Deshaun Brooks, 36; and Derramy Deonita Foster, 42.
The case centered on robberies in which masked, gloved suspects rushed ATM technicians as cash was being handled in drive-through areas and fled within seconds. Investigators linked the group to a broader series of offenses during an alleged conspiracy period from October 1 through December 31, 2024.
Two Beaumont robberies alleged to have taken under 20 seconds each
October 8, 2024: At about 4:45 p.m., two men later identified in court as Brooks and Foster robbed an ATM repair technician at a PNC Bank location on Phelan Boulevard. Prosecutors said $153,000 in bank cash was taken and the suspects sped away in a black sedan toward Interstate 10.
December 31, 2024: At about 1:15 p.m., two men later identified as Brooks and Warren robbed an ATM repair technician at Education First Federal Credit Union on Laurel Avenue. Prosecutors said $146,000 in bank cash was taken and the suspects fled in a stolen red SUV, which was located abandoned roughly 15 minutes later by a Beaumont police officer.
What “jugging” means in this case
In court, “juggings” were described as robberies or burglaries that target people believed to be carrying cash or valuables after being observed leaving a bank or similar financial business. Prosecutors presented evidence that members of the group committed a jugging about an hour before the New Year’s Eve credit-union robbery, with surveillance of a bank drive-through followed by a smash-and-grab theft from a customer’s vehicle at a nearby grocery store.
Sentencing exposure and next steps
Byrd faces up to 25 years in federal prison at sentencing. Warren, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bank robbery on September 15, 2025, also faces up to 25 years. Brooks pleaded guilty on September 16, 2025, to conspiracy and two counts of bank robbery and faces up to 45 years. Foster pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025, to bank robbery and faces up to 20 years.
Sentencing dates were not included in the public case summary and are expected to be scheduled after completion of presentence investigation reports.
The investigation involved multiple law-enforcement agencies in Southeast Texas and the Houston area, alongside federal investigators.