Houston Duo Sent to Slammer for Tallahassee Bank Heist

Tallahassee, FL – In a coordinated effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tallahassee Police Department, and Houston Police Department, two Houston men have been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for their involvement in a bank robbery in Tallahassee, Florida.

Charles Deon Mathews, 30, and Shai Trymaine Fields, 31, both of Houston, Texas, were each sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for their roles in the July 19, 2023, bank robbery. The sentences were handed down by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On the day of the robbery, Mathews and Fields drove to Tallahassee, Florida, from Houston, Texas, where they targeted an ATM technician repairing a Wells Fargo ATM off Mahan Drive. The duo jumped out of a rental vehicle, wearing hoods and masks, and approached the ATM technician. Mathews then removed four cassettes of money from the ATM, and the two men fled the scene. The investigation led by the FBI showed that after the robbery, Mathews and Fields traveled to Gainesville, Florida, where they paid cash for flights back to Houston.

“This conviction highlights the Tallahassee Police Department’s commitment to ensure the safety and security of all residents and visitors in this city,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Let this serve as a clear message: Tallahassee is not a haven for criminals looking to evade justice. If you commit a crime here, regardless of where you come from, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

TPD and the FBI cooperated in their initial investigation of the robbery and were able to identify Mathews and Fields. The FBI’s continued investigation showed that Mathews and Fields were both also present in Detroit, Michigan, when another ATM technician was robbed at a Chase Bank ATM on August 18, 2023.

As part of their sentence, Mathews and Fields will serve 3 years of supervised release and will have to pay $88,710.00 in restitution to Wells Fargo and forfeit another $88,710.00 to the government. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Harley Ferguson.