The Foolish Mistake That Finally Got A Serial Robber Caught In Texas

We all make mistakes, sometimes very foolish ones. We send sensitive emails to the wrong person, run the red light, or accidentally step on our pet's paw (the most heartbreaking thing we can do!).

But there are times when we mustn't make a mistake—or we risk losing everything.

Going on a series of robberies would be one of those times. Of course, the original mistake was doing the robberies, but if you don't want to get caught, the execution must be absolutely flawless.

One Texas man learned this the hard way after going on a spree of five cash loan robberies.

According to the FBI, Charles Lenard Brownlee (37, pictured above) was convicted on a long list of charges, including "one count of Hobbs Act Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Hobbs Act Interference with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm."

What foolish, tiny thing got him caught?  He dropped a Black & Mild cigarillo while fleeing one of the robberies.

An eyewitness pointed this out to investigators. A DNA analysis was done on the cigarillo, leading to the discovery that Brownlee was the perpetrator. At the trial, an expert was able to show that Brownlee's cell phone "hit" near the stores each time a robbery was committed.

Additionally, his girlfriend and sometimes accomplice testified against Brownlee and some of the items he was wearing at the robberies were discovered- but it was the cigarillo that identified him in the first place. He might have done a lot more damage before getting caught otherwise.

Based on all the evidence, Brownlee was found guilty by a jury on March 26, 2025.