Dallas Woman Pleads Guilty To Role In Armed Car-Jacking

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Texas
8 April 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TYLER, Texas – A 27 year old Dallas, Texas woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to Car-Jacking and Bank Robbery charges, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

According to information presented in court, on March 13, 2015, Chanel Collins, 27, a Dallas resident, drove Laquaylan Patterson (Patterson) from Jarvis Christian College, just east of Hawkins, Texas, to an apartment complex in Tyler, Texas, with the intent to aid Patterson in committing an armed carjacking.

Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Patterson got out of Collins’ car, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, and told Collins to wait for his signal to her cell phone. Patterson then approached a woman who was visiting her mother at the complex, brandished his pistol, and demanded the woman’s car keys. The woman surrendered her keys and Patterson took her vehicle and drove away. Patterson then signaled Collins and she also departed the complex in her car. Collins and Patterson then drove their respective vehicles back to Jarvis Christian College.

Later that same day, Collins drove her vehicle to a car wash in Big Sandy, Texas, to aid Patterson in committing an armed robbery of the 1st National Bank of Gilmer, located in Big Sandy. As Collins was waiting for Patterson at the car wash, Patterson drove the vehicle he had carjacked to the bank. Patterson entered the bank and brandished a pistol, climbed behind the teller counter, and demanded money from the tellers. The tellers stood aside as Patterson removed all the bills from two cash drawers and put the money in a bag. Patterson then fled the bank, driving in the carjacked vehicle to the car wash where Collins was waiting. Once Patterson arrived at the car wash, he and Collins fled in her vehicle.

Collins and Patterson were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Tyler, Texas on June 17, 2015. Collins is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years’ incarceration plus a fine of $250,000.00. A sentencing hearing for Collins will be held at a later date. Patterson’s case is still pending trial.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tyler Office, the Texas Rangers’ Office, the Big Sandy Police Department, and the Tyler Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.