A 48-year-old Kilgore man struck fear into East Texas bank employees when he robbed three financial institutions in a five-month crime spree, flashing guns and snatching tens of thousands in cash. Hector Camargo’s reign ended abruptly on April 21, 2017 — the same day as his third heist — when a sharp-eyed citizen flagged his truck and tipped off law enforcement.
Camargo pleaded guilty on September 27, 2017, to charges of bank robbery and using a firearm during a violent crime. On February 27, 2018, U.S. District Judge Ron Clark slammed him with the maximum: 240 months in federal prison. The sentence, delivered in Tyler, Texas, marks the end of a violent string of crimes that rattled small-town branches from Longview to Hughes Springs.
The first strike came November 14, 2016, at the Citizens National Bank in Longview. Camargo didn’t fire a shot — but he didn’t need to. He passed a threat note referencing a weapon and walked out with $5,574. Less than a month later, on December 16, he returned to another Citizens National branch — this time in Kilgore — and showed a handgun before stealing $4,218 from a teller’s drawer.
He went quiet for months — then resurfaced on April 21, 2017, at the First National Bank of Hughes Springs, located in Kilgore. Once again, Camargo brandished a handgun and walked away with $7,802. But this time, police were already circling. Authorities had issued a ‘be on the lookout’ alert with a description of his vehicle.
The break came when a civilian spotted Camargo’s truck rolling through town and recognized it from the police band radio broadcast. The tip led to his immediate arrest — still in possession of the stolen cash and the firearm used in the robberies. The swift capture prevented what investigators feared could’ve been a longer string of holdups.
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Longview Police Department, and Kilgore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker prosecuted. Camargo now begins a two-decade sentence in federal custody, paying the price for terrorizing bank workers and exploiting public trust with a gun and a plan.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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