Two men charged in $1.3 million Houston armored truck robbery
Houston TX Jan 4 2018 Two men have been charged with aggravated robbery after taking part in the theft of more than $1.3 million from a courier carrying money to a Garda armored truck from a southwest Houston Frost Bank, according to court records.
The robbery occurred the day after Christmas in the 9300 block of Kirby Drive, when two masked men armed with guns took bags filled with cash from the courier. Denzel Miles, 25, a former Garda courier, and Davione Owens, 20 have been identified as two of the robbers and both face charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon charges, according to charging documents.
Owens is being held in the Harris County Jail with no bond. Miles is currently out on a $40,000 bond.
Miles has identified a Ronald Freeman as an accomplice in the robbery and the co-registered owner of the getaway car, a 2013 Lincoln MKZ, court records show.
Authorities have said the burned body of a man with the same name was found a day after the robbery in the woods near 5700 block of Wenda. But they have not said if that Freeman was connected to the robbery and it remains unclear to authorities how he ended up dead.
The case began when the Garda courier, who was conducting a drop off and pick up of the money, was exiting the Frost Bank with two plastic currency bags and returning to the armored truck. At that point, the two robbers approached him from a Lincoln MKZ, according to court records.
The robbers ordered the man to get on the ground, took the money and fled the Frost Bank parking lot.
According to court records, a Garda employee apparently told her manager on Dec. 24 that Miles was planning to rob an armored bank truck “he was formerly assigned” and said he knew the driver of the route would be an “easy target,” court documents stated.
The employee said that Miles drove a silver Lincoln MKZ vehicle and showed authorities a photo of the man standing in front of the car.
The Garda employee called Miles, but he denied knowing anything about the armored truck robbery and said he was out of town in Louisiana.
A Garda security manager told authorities that Miles had been terminated in October after “failing to cooperate with an internal theft investigation,” at the company, according to court records. The manager also said that Miles knew where the money was picked-up and dropped off at the Frost Bank “was not in a secure location,” according to court records.
Miles was found on Dec. 28–two days after the robbery– in the 3500 block of Woodchase Drive and arrested. A black Glock and a little over $14,000 was found inside the Blue Kia Soul Miles was driving before he was arrested.
After he was arrested, Miles told police that another person called “Poppa” participated in the robbery and his car was used as the getaway vehicle. He gave authorities “Poppa’s” phone number. Authorities identified the user of the phone as Ronald Freeman.
Miles said that he met up with Freeman and another person, before the three men conducted the robbery. The three men then drove to another location after the robbery where they split the money.
Miles told officers that after the robbery he and the men were picked up by a female friend. The friend identified to authorities a photograph of Ronald Freeman as a man she transported in her car on the day of the robbery.
Miles told police that his portion of the money was located at the woman’s apartment on Woodchase. Authorities found $396,000, newly purchased clothing items and jewelry receipts in the woman’s apartment.
Owens was identified as a suspect after Freeman was reported missing on Dec. 27. Owens apparently came over to Freeman’s apartment saying he needed “to get some things” and that he, Freeman and other men had “acquired enough money to leave the country,” according to the missing persons report. “
Miles was able to identify to authorities Owens as the third person involved in the robbery from jail.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and Houston police.
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