"Evidentiary issues" have forced prosecutors to dismiss charges against two Texans who were accused of ambushing a man servicing an ATM in Edina and robbing the machine of more than $112,000, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said.
Charges dismissed against 2 Texans accused of ambushing man servicing ATM in Edina, stealing $112K
County Attorney's Office said "evidentiary issues" forced the cases to be dropped.
January 9, 2024 at 5:40PM
Robbery charges were dropped against Christopher J. Harris, 32, and Rajoun D. Johnson, 30, both of Houston, in connection with the heist about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30, 2022, at the U.S. Bank in the 50th & France retail district. Also dismissed were two counts against Harris of fleeing police.
Nicholas Kimball, spokesman for the County Attorney's Office, said Monday that "evidentiary issues came up, and it was clear that we could not go ahead with the cases."
Video imagery from a nearby business revealed a third unidentified person involved in the robbery, the charges read. Kimball said he's unaware of any other suspects being identified.
Both men posted bond and left the county jail within a couple days of being charged. However, Johnson is currently serving time in a Texas prison after being sentenced in March for robbery.
According to the criminal complaints and other court documents:
A technician who was providing maintenance to the ATM told police that three men pulled a Subaru into the ATM drive-thru and two masked men in all-black clothing "aggressively approached" him, the charges read. The technician put his hands in the air and stepped back as the men grabbed four cartridges of cash totaling $112,920.
Police spotted the Subaru heading west on W. 50th Street near Sunnyslope Road later that afternoon. The driver stopped the vehicle and ran east on 50th but was quickly apprehended by officers.
About the same time, an officer spotted a Jeep that police believed was connected to the robbery. The Jeep sped off on westbound 50th and entered northbound Hwy. 100. A state trooper was alerted to items being thrown from the Jeep and recovered black clothing along the shoulder of the ramp from northbound Hwy. 100 to eastbound Interstate 394.
Edina police caught up to the Jeep shortly before 6:30 p.m. at a Speedway gas station on W. 66th Street near Interstate 35W and arrested Johnson there. Inside the vehicle was a duffle bag with "a large quantity of cash," one of the complaints read.
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