Teller accused of texting robber during bank heist
Bank teller is arrested on suspicion that he helped orchestrate a bank robber's movements via text messaging.
Technology is such an enabler. Even when it comes, allegedly, to robbing a bank.
For police in Arlington, Texas, believe they have rumbled an inside job of a bank robbery by stumbling on the cell phone of one of the bank's tellers.
Recently, there was a serious robbery at the Texas Credit Union in Arlington. It happened after closing time, when the robber allegedly emerged from the bathroom in order to relieve the bank of $183,000.
According to NBC Dallas Fort Worth, police happened upon the alleged robber Tyce Von Franklin shortly after the heist, when he was allegedly going 54mph in a 40mph zone. Upon stopping him, police found some incriminating items, including a large amount of cash and a surgical mask.
However, they began to suspect this was an inside job when they surveyed footage from the bank and saw one of its tellers, Kyle Lightner, sending texts shortly before the robbery.
Quite coincidentally, the police say, Lightner was texting Franklin. One text allegedly read: "Don't forget yo sunglasses." Which might, to some, seem slightly odd. Especially as the alleged robber was, indeed, reportedly wearing sunglasses.
Another alleged text from Lightner to Franklin that whiffed of serendipity read: "Just in case u don't remember, just go in the front and walk straight...then u will see this hallway and my closet will be to the left."
There was, according to the FBI, another Lightner text to Franklin that warned of a co-worker who "screams at scary movies, so be calm."
It seems that some people might still be unaware of the elephantine footprints of technology. It records everything and forgets nothing.
Perhaps, though, some might wonder whether Lightner availed himself of T-Mobile's fine service.
If he did, a fine, young, pro-bono lawyer might choose to offer an interesting argument. He might say that, given T-Mobile's apparent contention that text messages are not subject to the same laws as voice calls and can therefore be blocked, T-Mobile ought to have immediately realized that these messages were potentially of a criminal nature and made them disappear.
It's a stretch, of course. Which is what might be awaiting these two alleged bank heist protagonists.