The Lubbock Police Department (LPD) arrested 57year-old Otis Williams, 57, in connection with the bank robbery at Happy State Bank in Lubbock this past Wednesday.
According to LPD, the suspect was taken into custody when located in a room at the Red Roof Inn on I-27 after law enforcement requested assistance from the public in locating the suspect. He was initially arrested on unrelated warrants, but a warrant for aggravated robbery was eventually signed.
Court records indicated that Williams walked into the bank, pulled out a handgun and a white bag as he approached the bank teller counter and told the teller to put the money into the bag. The teller complied after which Williams exited the bank and proceeded north along Quaker Avenue.
Court documents indicated that security photos shared with news and social media outlets prompted Crime Line tips which ultimately helped to identify Williams.
After being arrested, Williams gave law enforcement information about the robbery that wasn’t publicly known, corroborating security video footage.
According to court documents, Williams was also accused of three counts of burglarizing a building.
Federal charges were pending since bank robbery is a federal crime under Title 18, Section 2113 of the United States Code, making it a federal offense since most banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations are federally insured, making their property federal in nature. The statute defines bank robbery as taking or attempting to take by force or intimidation, any property belonging to a federally insured financial institution or entering such an institution with the intent to commit a felony or larceny.
As of Monday, Williams was being held at the Lubbock County Detention Center on bonds totaling $210,000.