The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

James Hunter Bergeron’s friend of 15 years is the person who turned him in for the Capital One bank robbery on July 27.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Bergeron,22, of Sulphur, La., was behind on his pickup truck payments when he spotted the bank on 16th Street. It was close to the Interstate and he “just decided to do it.”

A bank employee reported to police she was working the drive-thru at about 10:29 a.m. and when she turned around saw Bergeron standing in line with the bank bag under his arm. She walked to the teller station and asked Bergeron if she could help him. He presented a note stating, “This is a robbery 20s and 100s there are gunmen outside that will kill us is you don’t do it” The teller attempted to take the note, but Bergeron had his finger on it and quickly took it back. The teller placed about $3,000 in the bag and he left the scene.

According to police, he did not have a gun visible at the time of the robbery.

Following the robbery, Bergeron reportedly went back to where he had parked the truck and headed home. The friend told investigators he called Bergeron to see if he wanted to go fishing. But, Bergeron wanted him to come to his family’s place of business instead. When he arrived, he told him he had something he needed to tell someone.

Bergeron told his friend details which would later help him find the story on the Internet such as his clothing which was a black cowboy hat, jeans and a shirt with pearl buttons. His friend would later provide investigators with Facebook pictures of Bergeron wearing the same shirt believed to have been worn during the robbery.

In addition, Bergeron told the friend he spent the money to pay his truck note, buy a Ruger .380 pistol which he kept in his truck and gave some money to his girlfriend.

Another friend also identified him as the person who robbed the bank after she viewed the video of the robbery. The woman reported she had known Bergeron since he was a child, according to the affidavit.

After being arrested he was extradited to Texas. Bond was set at $50,000. On Saturday he posted bond and was released from the Orange County Jail.