Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
A man from Houston has been sentenced to federal prison following his involvement in a series of ATM burglaries in the Eastern District of Texas. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. announced the sentencing on April 17, 2025.
Julius Lawan Lockett, Jr., 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft. He received a 14-month federal prison term and is required to pay restitution amounting to $243,540.85, alongside a forfeiture of $79,850. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.
Court documents revealed that Lockett collaborated with others to target ATMs in Smith County. On March 28, 2021, Lockett and his accomplice, Jermone Christopher Mayes, Jr., traveled from Houston to Tyler. Utilizing a stolen Ford F-250 truck, they used chains to forcibly open an ATM at the Chase Bank located on South Southwest Loop 323 in Tyler, stealing approximately $159,700.
Mayes was sentenced separately on January 29, 2025, to 33 months in federal prison for his participation in the crime.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the FBI in conjunction with the Tyler Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson led the prosecution.
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