Texas Poker Game Robbers Indicted

The story reads like its from the days of the wild, wild west where gunslinging poker players return to a poker game after leaving in order to rob the players.

Except it happened in late 2017, the entire incident was captured on video, and two of the four men charged with aggravated robbery are a father and his son.

The allegedly deplorable dad, Douglas Jerome Sims, 45, was apparently the mastermind behind the scheme that ended in handcuffs for the four men who tried to rob the Abilene, Texas poker game last October. Sims was reportedly a regular at the game, but cashed out early on the night in question.

Before cashing out, however, Sims got a good look at the money drawer and deemed it worth his while to return half an hour later, accompanied by two other gunslingers. All three were wearing masks to conceal their identities, with a driver behind the wheel of a getaway car outside.

Like Father, Like Son

After robbing the players of thousands of dollars in cash, Sims, along with son Jamar Jerome Sims, 27, Michael Darius Payne, 31, and driver Chazsman Chappel Small, 35, attempted to make off with the loot. But the victims were suspicious that the bandits might be known to them, with one victim stating that the "robbers knew where the money was kept" and "where some of the surveillance DVRs were located," according to KTXS News.

Also a clue to arresting police officers was the fact that the elder Sims mentioned to someone in September that he felt disrespected at the game and that he had a notion to "shut down the place." It didn't help his case that Sims was spotted on security video typing out a text message on his cell phone right after he got an eyeful of the cash drawer and before he left the poker game early.

Examination of Sims' cell phone after the gang was apprehended revealed that he and Payne had texted each other about robbing the joint earlier in September but postponed the theft because the amount of money on the poker table was not to their liking.

All four men were recently indicted on single counts of robbery and aggravated robbery. They all admitted to participating in the heist.