A situation in Texas unfolded where a bank robber was convinced by a bank teller to show two forms of identification before he eventually “completed” his robbery, then got caught almost immediately while leaving the bank.
Regardless of what the current administration would like you to believe about crime in specific cities, the truth is crime tends to be random — and the best way to deal with it is to have personnel in risky jobs ready for anything. The bank teller at a Wells Fargo in Dallas was one of those highly trained individuals who handled a bank robbery perfectly.
These days when an erratic man enters a building, it usually ends in a shootout, so one could be forgiven for simply cooperating with everything a robber demands. But CBS reports that when a man named Nathan Wayne Pugh walked into the bank trying to rob it as subtly as possible from one specific teller, the teller stalled him by pretending the withdrawal required a wait time. As Pugh waited, the teller asked for ID. When he offered a bank debit card, the teller requested a second form — and to everyone’s surprise, Pugh handed over his Texas state identification card.
He eventually got caught and was sentenced to 102 months behind bars, running concurrently with two 25-year sentences for previous robberies. In a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, more details of the incident were made clear. Pugh was apparently much worse than just a goofy person who didn’t understand how IDs work.
Pugh walked in with a fast-food bag and approached the teller who would end up being the hero of the story. He pretended to be making a withdrawal, but as soon as he got to her window he handed over the bag with a note riddled with spelling errors: “Look if you don’t want to die then you should do as this note says This is not a bag of food This is a bom, so just put money in an envelope and do not make any move till after I have left for ten mintis.”
He was eventually able to get $800 — but only after giving away all his personal information. As Pugh made his way out, he saw an officer entering and tried to grab a woman carrying her toddler as a hostage. Pugh reportedly tried to put her on a “chokehold.” Police quickly intervened and arrested him.
Of course, assuming someone is a robber doesn’t always play out so smoothly. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler once had a very awkward run-in with Atlanta police because he tried to discreetly withdraw his money using a note. Considering how well his films perform at the box office, many were outraged at how that situation was handled. If there’s anyone who doesn’t need to rob a bank, it’s Ryan Coogler.
As for Pugh, he’ll be away for a very long time — with plenty of hours to reflect on how handing over your state ID during a robbery isn’t the smartest move.
