2021 Racine ATM Robbery; Texas gang sentenced, $136 thousand stolen

RACINE, WI. – All three accused 2021 Racine ATM robbery there is currently a verdict of over $136,000.

Prosecutors have charged Brandon Taylor, 24, Manny Willis, 25, and Brianna Blades, 24, all of Houston, in the case.

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Case details

This happened at the Chase Bank on 21st Street on August 4, 2021. According to the criminal complaint, officers were speaking with a man who was servicing ATMs at the bank when the robbery occurred.

Prosecutors said the worker noticed a masked man running toward him, followed by a second man. He feared for his safety and “backed away” from the ATM he was working on, while two men took cash from the machine and fled. Several cameras in the area confirmed the worker’s story.

Through video surveillance, investigators were able to identify the vehicle involved with Texas license plates. The complaint says Chase Bank told investigators the robbers got away with more than $136,000.

Racine investigators have contacted jurisdictions around the world Wisconsin And Illinois in order to identify the suspects’ vehicle. Later on the day of the robbery, Illinois State Patrol spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver fled, prompting a high-speed chase. The pursuit ended when “the suspect vehicle left the roadway and entered a cornfield.”

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Prosecutors said two men ran from the scene of the crash, but a woman in the car, identified as Blades, remained at the scene. She identified the two men who escaped from social media as Taylor and Willis. Blades went on to say that she and two men were “driving north to commit robberies.”

Blades said they first robbed a restaurant employee who was making a deposit at the bank. Illinoisaccording to the complaint. Then they went to Racine for a robbery at Chase Bank. On Blades’ phone, police found “photos of black trash bags full of money in the back seat of the car.” Court documents said the photos were taken after the robbery and text messages said “they needed help and had a lot of money.”

After an extensive multi-jurisdictional search, Taylor and Willis were apprehended separately in corn fields, the complaint said.

In court

In 2022, Taylor pleaded guilty to robbery and the financial institution robbery charge was dropped. In 2023, he was sentenced to six years in prison and four years of extended supervision.

In July, Willis pleaded not guilty to robbery and the financial institution robbery charge was dropped. He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison with permission to be transferred to a Texas facility. He was also sentenced to four years of extended supervision.

On Oct. 25, Blades pleaded guilty to theft of movable property, and charges of robbery and financial institution robbery were dropped. She was sentenced to 14 months in the Racine County Jail with credit for time served.