Three Texas men arrested in Phoenix-area 'bank jugging' case

MESA, Ariz. - Three men from Texas appeared in a Phoenix courtroom on Friday, all facing charges connected to "bank jugging." The scheme entails robbing people after they withdraw money from a bank, but striking at a secondary location.

The backstory:

The trouble originally started in Mesa last month. A victim reported being robbed of $2,600 in coins, which were stolen from a car shortly after the person left a bank.

Maricopa County Superior Court paperwork reveals that police tracked the suspects' car, a rental vehicle from Houston, using surveillance cameras. The same men were later spotted near a bank in Tempe during a second trip. In response, detectives set up a decoy, utilizing an undercover officer who left a bank carrying a bank bag.

Although the suspects eventually stopped following the decoy, they were arrested later just west of Phoenix.

What they're saying:

"It’s hard not to have someone watch you while you’re at the ATM because somebody else may be behind you," one bank customer reacted.

"We try to be vigilant and not [withdraw money] at night or in inconspicuous places that don’t have a lot of traffic around," another customer remarked.

"I think you just need to be completely aware of … people around you," advised one bank patron. "You don’t want somebody coming up and taking something that’s yours."

What's next:

While two of the suspects were released, they have been ordered not to leave Arizona. The third suspect, DeFredrick Johnson, is being held on a $10,000 cash bond for an earlier bank jugging incident. All three are scheduled to appear in court in the coming weeks.

What you can do:

Safety suggestions to combat bank jugging:

• Conceal cash quickly.
• Remain observant.
• Avoid distractions like cellphones or earbuds.