Suspect in ATM heist ring pleads guilty
One of five Houston men accused in a sprawling federal conspiracy case linked to three ATM heists, two murders, one slain assassin and a shootout with a SWAT team pleaded guilty Wednesday just days before the case is slated for trial.
In exchange for possible testimony that could help put his codefendants away for decades, Trayvees Duncan-Bush described to a judge his role in a high-profile case that captured the public’s attention two years ago, when federal agents and local police set up a sting to ensnare a violent crew believed to be running an ATM courier heist ring.
At one point, the case could have been headed for a death sentence, but the government decided against that option by early this year, court records show. Now, prosecutors are pursuing conspiracy and other charges against the four remaining suspects, who are all slated to begin trial next week in Judge Ewing Werlein Jr.’s court.
After watching his client led away in handcuffs and green jail scrubs on Wednesday afternoon in court, an attorney for DuncanBush declined to comment.
Sting takes down ring
The federal investigation against the robbery ring kicked off in March 2016 and ended nine months later, with a bloody gunbattle outside an Amegy Bank.
Redrick Batiste, the group’s leader, was shot to death by Houston police. Three of his alleged accomplices — including DuncanBush — were arrested while fleeing, and another two were picked up after the ill-fated heist.
It likely wasn’t the first time they’d set up such an operation, according to court documents. Batiste’s schemes had a pattern, and federal investigators linked his operation to at least two other killings.
The first, in March 2016, left dead the Loomis security courier, Melvin Moore, who was murdered while refilling an ATM at the J.P. Morgan Chase on Airline.
In a final act, Moore reached for his gun and shot at the would-be robber — who ended up fleeing empty-handed.
Then in August, a robbery crew targeted the Wells Fargo Bank in the 13000 block of Northwest Freeway, sniping cash courier David Guzman as he refilled the ATM.
After a gunman killed Guzman from afar, another robber moved in to snatch the money, making off with $120,000. Though two of the accused — Marc Hill and Nelson Polk — were charged with conspiracy in relation to Guzman’s slaying, it doesn’t appear that any of the men have been charged in connection with the earlier killing.
The final fatality came in December, when Batiste and his five alleged accomplices set their sights on the Amegy Bank. For days, the men posted up near the bank, monitoring the comings and goings of the armored vehicle they planned to target.
Then, on the morning of Dec. 7, they took their places.
“We was gonna wait until the security guard got out the truck,” DuncanBush said in court. “And, Batiste, he was gonna take the shot.”
Afterward, Duncan-Bush and Polk would pull up, and DuncanBush would jump out to grab the loot, he told the court.
‘Very hard-fought trial’
But that’s not how it went down. Instead, it was not a truck full of cash but a cadre of police and FBI agents that pulled up to the bank.
Duncan-Bush and Polk were the first to spot the sting, and they tried running away, according to court documents. Batiste opened fire and was fatally wounded. Afterward, authorities recovered a .223-caliber AR-15 with a scope from nearby.
When Hill — sitting in his car — saw the sting going down, he tried driving away but was arrested. Two others — John Scott and Bennie Phillips — were taken into custody later.
Now, following Wednesday’s guilty plea, Duncan-Bush is slated for sentencing in November. His four alleged accomplices are scheduled to begin trial Monday.
But while the plea could mean damning testimony, at least two of the men say they weren’t there or weren’t involved.
Late last month, Phillips filed a notice saying he plans to offer an alibi, saying he was at parole and at immigration offices.
Guy Womack, the attorney representing Hill, said his client is a longtime local businessman and didn’t even know some of the others he’s accused of plotting with.
“He would have no need to try to rob an armored car; it’s absurd,” Womack said. “It’ll be a very hardfought trial.”