HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Investigators say they've busted a big cell phone theft ring that has ties to the Crips gang.
Twenty-four adults and two juveniles are charged in connection with 20 armed robberies since September of 2014, according to Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman.
They call themselves "ABM" or All 'Bout the Money.
Investigators say they targeted cell phone stores in Harris County and often threatened to kill employees and customers.
"Of course, every time you get a gun pointed at you it's definitely threatening, so a lot of people were victimized by this," said Sgt. M. Alvarado of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "Not just the employees, but the customers that were inside these stores at the time."
One of the robbers allegedly shot a Houston Police officer.
They sold the stolen phones to a buyer who shipped them overseas.
The crime ring is also connected to two FedEx truck robberies last September, Hickman said.
Ringleader Terrance Edwards, 24, would recruit young men from the East End to join his team, HCSO investigators say. They were paid $1,000 for each robbery.
Charges against the suspects range from aggravated robbery, engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated sexual assault on a peace officer.
The arrests come after a joint investigation called "Operation: Can You Hear Me Now?" by the HCSO, HPD and the Harris County District Attorney's Office. They broke the case open after some of the early suspects arrested started naming names.
Investigators are now working on linking this crew to even more armed robberies both around Houston and in other states.
