April 17, 2026 - The U.S. Attorney’s office has reported the sentencing of a Houston man to Federal prison for his involvement in a “Hook and Chain” crime spree in at least two states.
According to details in a press release Cody “break da bank cobo” Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on April 15, 2026. Williams was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $71,639.
According to court documents, from June 2020 to June 2024, Williams was involved in a crime spree referred to as “Hook and Chain” burglaries, which involved stealing a truck, attaching hooks and chains to the vehicle, and using it to drag the door off an ATM to retrieve the cash currency from the machine. This crime spree involved several burglaries in Texas and Arizona, including the Texas Bank on South Preston Road in Prosper. The conspiracy resulted in a loss of over $400,000 in bank funds and damage to property.
Shelby County was the target of similar incidents during the same time period and law enforcement suspected the ATM thefts were well organized by a large group of individuals from the Houston area. In October 2020, thieves made an attempt at a “hook and chain” operation at the Shelby Savings Bank on Selma Street in Center when Center Police Officers interrupted that attempt and apprehended suspects Robert Washington, Jr. and Paul Benjamin Madison.
In November 2020, an ATM at Citizens Bank on Austin Street in Center was the target of a “hook and chain” involving a red 2000 Ford F-350 with a chain which was later located at a car dealership nearby. It wasn’t reported at that time if those involved were successful in obtaining any funds from the machine.
According to Shelby County court documents, cases against Madison which included two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity that were dismissed in consideration of convictions in Harris and Cass Counties for other crimes. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inmate Division, and is eligible for parole as of January 2025. Otherwise, his projected release date is September 2030.
Madison was sentenced to 10 years in Harris County for theft of property <$300K ATM; and aggravated robbery. In Cass County he was sentenced to five years for two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.
Washington’s Shelby County case of engaging in organized criminal activity remains open as of April 2026; however, it is listed as being placed on inactive status and hasn’t had any new entries since August 2023 when his attorney withdrew as counsel.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the case against Williams was investigated by the FBI, Fort Worth Police Department, and Pottsboro Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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