TYLER, Texas – In a grim tale of violent crime and financial malfeasance, Chanel Collins, a 24-year-old Dallas woman, has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in an East Texas bank heist and carjacking. Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced the sentence today.
Collins pleaded guilty on April 8, 2016, to aiding in the commission of a car-jacking and bank robbery, receiving a 36-month sentence from U.S. Appellate Court Judge Catherine Haynes on February 27, 2017.
According to information presented in court, Collins played a sinister part in the events of March 13, 2015. She drove LaQuaylan Patterson from Wood County, Texas, to an apartment complex in Tyler. There, Patterson executed an armed carjacking. With a semiautomatic pistol, he demanded and received the keys to a woman’s vehicle, which he stole, later meeting Collins at the scene.
Collins and Patterson then embarked on a crime spree that led to a second armed bank robbery later that day. Collins waited at a car wash in Big Sandy, Texas, while Patterson robbed the 1st National Bank of Gilmer. After making off with $29,734.00, Patterson met Collins as arranged.
Both individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 17, 2015, following an investigation that involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Rangers, Tyler Police Department, Big Sandy Police Department, and Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble handled the prosecution.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to in pursuit of wealth and power, even at the expense of innocent lives and property. Collins’s sentence is a testament to the justice system’s unwavering commitment to protecting citizens from violent crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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