A bank jugging trial in the 75th District Court, with Honorable Mark Morefield presiding, began on Monday, Feb. 10. A jury was selected and the presentation of evidence began immediately thereafter.
The evidence showed that on April 23, 2018, a man left the Chase Bank in Humble with an envelope containing cash after making a withdrawal. Unbeknownst to him, two men, Anthony Harbour and his co-defendant, followed him to the Winter Valley Subdivision in Kenefick where the victim was helping to build a new home.
When the victim got out of his vehicle, Harbour placed a gun to his head and demanded the envelope. After Harbour got the envelope with $2,000 cash inside, he turned his gun on two other workers. They gave him $600 more and Harbour jumped in the car as his co-defendant began driving away.
The property owner was in her travel trailer watching the robbery take place. She called 911 and Officers began responding immediately.
Before Harbour even got out of Winter Valley, Deputy John Tucker, who now is a Pct. 2 deputy constable, passed going in the opposite direction. Tucker temporarily lost sight of Harbour when the suspects drove behind an unoccupied home on FM 1008.
When Tucker headed toward Dayton, he quickly caught up to the vehicle and affected a felony stop. Harbour ditched the fully loaded pistol before the stop but Constable David Hunter located it near the intersection of CR 649 and FM 1008.
Harbour had muddy shoes while his driver did not. A distinctive shoe print pattern matching his shoes was located at the scene of the robbery in mud by Deputy George Daniels. Harbour and the driver had a little over $2,600 between them when searched by Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
The recovered gun just so happened to be reported stolen the same day in Harris County. The gun owner gave information about the distinct purple and black gun, her phone number and her name.
District Attorney Logan Pickett offered into evidence Harbour’s phone records showing ongoing communication between the gun owner and Harbour the day of the robbery, refuting any claim Harbour had denying connection to the gun. Marcelo Molfino, an investigator with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, was called to show cell tower mapping of the victim and defendant’s phones.
The Liberty County DA’s office secured cell tower data for those phones from Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile. The location of the towers the three phones’ signals were using showed Harbour following the victim from the bank to the scene of the robbery. The jury deliberated for 1.5 hours before finding Harbour guilty.
During the punishment phase, Pickett produced records and witnesses proving Harbour began robbing innocent victims at the age of 16. He continued his ways into adulthood where he was convicted of unauthorized use of a vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm and another aggravated robbery.
While on bond in this case, Harbour was required to wear a GPS monitor by Judge Morefield at the request of DA Pickett. Harbour removed that device after just 5 months and remained on the run until caught by law enforcement.
After hearing Pickett’s witnesses and receiving the prior conviction judgments and no evidence from the defense, the jury set Harbour’s punishment at 36 years in TDC. He is eligible for parole after 18 years. The name of his co-defendant, property owner and victims were not used because the co-defendant’s case remains to be tried.
District Attorney Logan Pickett says the case should serve as a reminder to be cognizant of your surroundings, especially leaving banks and ATMs. You can mark yourself a target simply by walking out of a bank with an envelope in your hand.