Police learn more, add new charges in Coker spree

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E-Z Mart, WalMart, SuperHandy #6 among places man visited

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Michael Allen Coker
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Courtesy HCSO

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More details emerge about the crimes Michael Allen Coker allegedly committed in the early morning hours on May 28, as he was slapped with ten new charges of credit or debit card abuse on Wednesday, each of which is a state jail felony. 

During Coker’s initial arrest on May 28, he allegedly took a car from Paris and was found with a blue credit card imprinted with a different individual’s name, and a store bag containing a new set of drill bits and mirrors still in the packaging and a receipt, according to police.

On May 28, Coker was charged with two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, four counts of credit or debit card abuse, and two counts of theft of property between $2500 and $30,000, according to reports. The next day, May 29, police added an additional charge of credit or debit card abuse. 

Coker was released on a $5000 bond on May 29, according to records. 

On June 12, Coker was re-arrested driving a stolen vehicle, reports said. During the June 12 investigation, reports said, investigators found that Coker had attempted to use stolen cards more times on May 28 than they previously believed-- twice at the Sulphur Springs WalMart ATM, and once filling up at SuperHandy #6. 

For this activity, Coker received three additional charges of credit or debit card abuse totaling $15,000 in bonds, according to Sheriff’s records. At that point, he was not again released. 

On July 11, ten additional charges were added for Coker’s May 28 activities. According to reports, the victim notified police that his bank told him someone had attempted to use his debit card ten times at E-Z Mart #4035, located on Mockingbird Lane in Sulphur Springs.  

Reviewing security camera footage, police said, they were able to view the victim’s car at the E-Z Mart at approximately 4:21 a.m. 

“The driver appeared to exit the vehicle and re-enter the sedan,” police stated. “The driver and the sedan left the pump at about 4:34 a.m.”

Police noted that the passenger side rear wheel of the vehicle appeared to be different from the other wheels. 

Police said they contacted the victim and asked him if any of the wheels on his car that was stolen was any different from any of the other wheels. 

“He [the victim] told [police] the ‘doughnut’ wheel was on it when it was stolen and it was still on it when he recovered his vehicle from the tow yard,” police stated. 

Furthermore, the manager of WalMart and additional surveillance footage confirmed that the car was in the area during a time when the victim stated he “was at work in Paris, TX and that he was not in Sulphur Springs,” police said. 

During all this time, police statements made it clear that the victim said he did not give Coker permission to use his car or his debit card. 

“Conclusion: It is more likely than not that Mr. Coker attempted to use [victim’s] Visa debit card ten times (ten counts) in the early morning hours of May 28,” police concluded. 

Prior to his May 28 arrest, Coker was arrested on May 20 of this year for driving without a license. Predating that arrest, Coker has 51 charges dating back to 1984, according to HCSO records. He now faces 34 charges from this incident alone, HCSO records states.