The FBI is searching for Torrian Jackson, who is accused in five Houston-area robberies involving grocery stores and banks.
HOUSTON — The FBI is asking for the public’s help finding a man accused in a series of robberies targeting grocery stores and banks around the Houston area.
FBI Houston identified the wanted man as Torrian Jackson, whom the agency described as an alleged member of a violent robbery crew.
A federal indictment filed July 15 in the Southern District of Texas names Jackson along with Jeremiah Godfrey, Michael Ray Hudson and Anthony Owens as defendants.
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Jackson is specifically charged in connection with the March 26 Kroger robbery, the March 27 Mi Tienda robbery, the March 30 H-E-B robbery and both alleged bank robberies on April 6.
Which Houston-area robberies is Torrian Jackson accused in?
The alleged spree began March 26 at a Kroger on Kirby Drive in Houston.
The eight locations listed in the indictment include three grocery stores and five federally insured banks, stretching from South Houston and southeast Houston to the north and northwest sides of the city.
One of the alleged robberies happened April 1 at a First Convenience Bank located inside a Joe V’s Smart Shop on W. Bellfort in southwest Houston.
According to the indictment, Jackson is charged in connection with the following:
March 26: A Kroger at 7747 Kirby Drive in Houston. Prosecutors allege Jackson, aiding and abetting others, took U.S. currency from the store through “actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury.”
March 27: A Mi Tienda at 1630 Spencer Highway in South Houston. The indictment similarly alleges money was taken through actual or threatened force, violence, and fear of injury.
March 30: An H-E-B at 9828 Blackhawk in Houston. Jackson, Godfrey, and Hudson are accused of taking money from the store through actual or threatened force, violence, and fear of injury.
April 6: A First Convenience Bank at 1352 W. 43rd St. in Houston. Jackson, Godfrey and Owens are accused of taking money through force, violence and intimidation.
April 6: A Woodforest National Bank at 13484 Northwest Freeway in Houston. The indictment accuses the same three men of taking money through force, violence, and intimidation.
The grocery store counts against Jackson are for aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery. The two bank cases are charged as aiding and abetting bank robbery.
The indictment contains eight counts overall, but Jackson is named as a defendant in five of them. The other counts involve some of his co-defendants. The FBI said two of the four defendants named in the indictment are already in custody.
FBI asks for help finding Jackson
Jackson remains wanted and asked anyone with information that could help investigators find him to contact authorities.
FBI Houston described Jackson as a “persistent threat” to the community and said its Violent Crime Task Force is working to locate and safely apprehend him.
FBI Houston Public Affairs Officer Connor Hagan provided KHOU 11 with the following statement:
“In less than two weeks, members of an alleged violent robbery crew, which we believe Torrian Jackson was part of, committed 8 robberies of grocery stores and federally insured banks. They targeted locations that everyday people frequent to buy food for their families and pay bills for their homes. This crew didn’t care about using violence and force to disrupt the lives of regular Houstonians. And as such, their alleged crimes have resulted in multiple federal charges being investigated by FBI Houston’s Violent Crime Task Force.
Our task force, which is comprised of both FBI special agents and federally deputized detectives from the Houston Police Department and other local agencies, see Torrian Jackson as a persistent threat to our community. We are bringing every resource to bear in locating him, safely apprehending him, and making sure he faces justice at the federal level.
Alleged violent robbery crews like this one rip at the peaceful fabric of our neighborhoods and leave a wake of fear which impacts ordinary citizens long after the robbery. Taking down an alleged violent robber like Torrian Jackson furthers our mission to crush violent crime and sends a message — we will not tolerate violence in our community.”
Anyone with information about Jackson’s whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.