Southwest
Holiday crime fears grow as ‘jugging’ thieves target shoppers carrying cash and gifts: ‘Only a matter of time’
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Authorities throughout the country are warning shoppers to remain vigilant ahead of their holiday errands as thieves are turning to a popular crime trend to make off with quick cash.
The trend – nicknamed “jugging” – involves criminals following victims from ATMs, banks or stores in an effort to steal their cash or new purchases, according to the FBI. Law enforcement officers typically see a rise in incidents around the holiday season, with shoppers often walking around with large sums of cash or high-cost gifts.
“Jugging is just, in my opinion, a slang term for crimes of opportunity,” retired NYPD officer Bill Stanton told Fox News Digital. “Think of predators, where there are crocodiles or water creatures that hang out by the watering hole, right? And in this case, it’s an ATM or an ATM-type machine.”
Numerous instances of individuals falling victim to the trend have made national headlines, with the most recent incident striking a Texas man earlier this month.
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Surveillance video shows the moment two men allegedly broke the windows of an empty pickup truck and stole a cash envelope after following the victim from an ATM to a gas station in Houston, Texas, on April 28, 2025. (Houston Police Department)
On Nov. 10, a 70-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint as he was visiting an ATM in a Walmart parking lot in Houston, according to FOX26.
Police said the suspect forced the victim to withdraw cash from the machine, then shot the man after he handed over the money. The unnamed man was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
A similar incident unfolded on April 29, when police say a Houston man was followed from a Wells Fargo Bank ATM to a car wash, where an unidentified male suspect brandished a firearm in an attempt to rob the victim, according to the Houston Police Department. The suspect then fled the area on foot, before entering a white SUV and driving off, police said.
One day earlier, a man was followed from a Chase Bank in Houston, where surveillance video captured two suspects pulling up next to his vehicle on each side while the man entered a gas station convenience store, according to police. Video then captured the two suspects – who are believed to be the same individuals involved in the robbery on the following day – breaking both front windows of the victim’s vehicle before removing a cash envelope from the center console.
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Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician in Houston, Texas, on July 3, 2024. Surveillance video captured Clark forcing the technician to the ground while two codefendants allegedly stole nearly $250,000 in cash from the machine, according to the Department of Justice. (The Department of Justice)
Earlier this year, a Houston man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician, according to the Department of Justice.
According to prosecutors, 33-year-old Johnny Juwan Clark was out on supervised release for a separate robbery incident when he, along with three others, forced an ATM technician to the ground and forcibly removed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from the machine in Midlothian, Texas.
The group was working within a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team” when Clark admitted following the technician to multiple stops, before approaching the victim from behind and forcing him to the ground in front of a Chase Bank ATM, according to the DOJ.
Clark kept his fist to the back of the technician’s head as two alleged accomplices stole approximately $248,000 in cash from the machine, prosecutors said. The group then allegedly fled the scene and met at a nearby apartment complex, where the stolen money was loaded into the back of a Range Rover and driven back to Houston.
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Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing nearly $250,000 from an ATM in Houston, Texas on July 3, 2024, according to the Department of Justice. (The Department of Justice)
Once the cash was transported, Clark and another codefendant used a portion of the money to purchase an S-Class Mercedes-Benz and jewelry, according to prosecutors.
Clark’s attorney and the Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“It’s more of a want issue,” Stanton said. “And if the economy isn’t going in their favor, it’s more of a motivating factor – that, and the holidays.”
According to Stanton, criminals often seek out victims that look as though they are not paying attention to their surroundings when in a public place.
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“If you give the impression that you are prey, that you are lunch or dinner by way of giving up your money, it’s only a matter of time,” Stanton told Fox News Digital. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. Just because it’s never happened before, doesn’t mean that you’re untouchable – it means that you’re lucky.”
Stanton urges shoppers to take precautionary measures to protect themselves, especially during the holiday season.
He, along with the FBI, suggest shoppers should look around for anyone who may appear suspicious before approaching an ATM or exiting their vehicle in a parking lot.
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Additionally, the FBI urges individuals to vary their banking habits and stay away from a traceable routine, while also concealing their cash when leaving an ATM or store.
“Don’t make it easy for them,” Stanton said. “Take the money, put it deep in your pocket and go right to the car. Don’t be fanning the money, counting it out while you’re on the phone.”
Stanton also implores shoppers who may find themselves in a dangerous situation to simply hand over the money if they are approached by a criminal.
“If you’re in the middle of it, give it up,” he said. “Whether the money is from the ATM, that can be replaced – not your life. Toss the money and run the other way if you’re able to.”
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As Americans are taking to the stores to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, Stanton urges buyers to keep personal safety at the forefront of their minds as they buy their gifts for the season.
“While you’re doing your holiday shopping, so are the bad guys,” Stanton said. “While you’re looking for that deal or to buy that expensive item, they’re watching you and are like, ‘Oh, I like that person’s taste. That’s what their gift is, and it’s going to be my possession.’ You know, put that in your mind, and it makes you a little bit more aware.”
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A California raisin company has publicly denounced alleged antisemitic and racist conduct attributed to one of its heirs following his recent arrest in Pacific Palisades.
In a statement released Wednesday, Fresno County-based Lion Raisins said recent reports involving Bruce Lion, who was arrested last week on suspicion of making criminal threats, “do not reflect the values of Lion Raisins.”
“Recent reports about the conduct of Bruce Lion are deeply troubling and do not reflect the values of Lion Raisins,” a company spokesperson said in the statement. “We unequivocally condemn antisemitism, racism, and all forms of hate, discrimination, and intolerance.”
The statement comes days after Bruce Lion, 64, was arrested following allegations that he repeatedly directed antisemitic and racist remarks toward a rabbi neighbor in Pacific Palisades.
As previously reported, Rabbi Zushe Cunin accused Lion of harassing him and members of his congregation for months after Lion purchased a neighboring home earlier this year. Published reports cited videos that allegedly showed Lion shouting antisemitic slurs from his property and disrupting religious gatherings.
Lion Raisins emphasized Wednesday that Bruce Lion “does not actively participate in the company’s day-to-day operations.”
The company, which has operated for more than a century, said it remains committed to serving a diverse community of employees, growers, customers and business partners “with respect, dignity, and inclusiveness.”
“These principles are core to our culture and to the way we do business,” the statement said.
The company also said it recognizes concerns generated by the allegations and expressed support for those who may have been affected.
“We remain committed to fostering understanding and respect among all communities and to ethical conduct, mutual respect, and responsible corporate citizenship,” the statement continued.
Bruce Lion was arrested early Saturday and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats, according to law enforcement records.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Los Angeles, Ca
Neighbors say Encino mansion brings rowdy parties, scantily clad women to quiet street
Residents of an Encino neighborhood said a home reportedly being used to create adult content has brought chaos and disruptive activity to their quiet street.
The home is located on Weddington Street in an upscale area of the San Fernando Valley.
Neighbors described the home as a hotspot for raging parties and constant visitors. Authorities have also been reportedly called to the home before.
“We’ve seen scantily clad women, almost half-naked,” a neighbor told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe. “People smoking marijuana in front of our home. We’ve seen disruptions. There have been parties.”
In a recent incident, Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the house for a “swatting” incident, which is a hoax that involves someone reporting a false emergency to 911 to induce a large police presence.
Some neighbors accused the homeowner of creating unsavory content at the home, saying some of the company’s clients also reportedly model for the paid subscription platform OnlyFans, which can feature explicit sexual content.
Other neighbors complained about the home allegedly operating as a full-blown business on a quiet street filled with young families.
“We don’t care what content is being made,” one neighbor said. “You can’t start a production studio in a residential neighborhood.”
Residing at the home is Andy Bachman, CEO of a company called Creators Inc. One of the company’s logos can be seen prominently displayed on a large window.
“I work with modern digital entrepreneurs building audiences’ brands, products and businesses across all different platforms,” he told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe.
Bahcman denies his neighbors’ allegations, saying that his property is not being used as a backdrop for explicit adult material. He believes some of his neighbors are jumping to conclusions.
“I mean, everyone’s got rights to raise concerns and what I would hope is that those concerns are just based on facts rather than assumptions about an industry that they may not fully understand,” he said.
Although many neighbors have raised concerns, some tell KTLA they have no issue with the homeowner or any reported activity at the property.
Frustrated residents who have reported the home to city officials claim they were told that the home violates zoning laws, but no action against the homeowner has been taken.
A man accused of robbing a Culver City bank earlier this month has been arrested and charged after allegedly committing a similar robbery elsewhere in Los Angeles County, authorities announced Tuesday.
The robbery occurred June 2 around 1:10 p.m. at a bank in the 3800 block of Culver Center Drive, according to the Culver City Police Department.
Investigators said the suspect approached a teller window and handed over a note demanding money. Although the man never displayed a weapon, he repeatedly gestured toward his waistband and claimed he had a gun, causing employees to believe he was armed.
Fearing for their safety, bank employees complied with the demand, investigators said.
The suspect, described as a Black adult about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a heavy build, then fled on foot with approximately $10,000 in U.S. currency.
Following an investigation by Culver City detectives, with assistance from the department’s forensics unit, authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old Shawn Greene.
On June 12, Greene was arrested by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s West Hollywood Station after he reportedly attempted to rob another bank, police said in an updated news release.
Culver City detectives interviewed Greene while he was in custody in West Hollywood, during which, police said, he admitted to the June 2 bank robbery in Culver City.
He has since been charged with two counts of bank robbery by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with additional information about the Culver City robbery is asked to contact Detective Stulp at 310-253-6312. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
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