Groom robs bank day before wedding to pay for ring and venue

A Texas bridegroom robbed a bank the day before his wedding to pay for his fiancee’s ring and the cost of the venue, according to police.

Heath Bumpous, of Crockett, about 120 miles north of Houston, robbed the Citizens State Bank in nearby Groveton on Friday morning, Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said on Facebook Live.

Wallace said Bumpous, 36, who provided a full confession to police and is being charged with robbery, went into the local bank indicating he had a weapon and demanded money.

Bumpous then left with the stolen cash, drove down dirt and forest service roads when he got a call from his fiancee, Wallace said.

The two were supposed to get married Saturday, and his fiancee said she saw the surveillance video stills of her husband-to-be robbing the bank that police had posted on Facebook.

After some discussion, Wallace said the fiancee was able to persuade Bumpous to turn himself in and soon after, he confessed to authorities in Houston.

“He basically stated he was getting married tomorrow, he didn’t have enough money for the wedding ring he wanted to buy and he needed to pay for the wedding venue,” Wallace said.

The sheriff said his team recovered most of the stolen money, and thanked Bumpous’ family for their help.

Bumpous was still in police custody as of Monday morning and has just been transferred to Trinity County Jail. Wallace told NBC News on Monday that the wedding, scheduled for Saturday, didn’t happen.

“No wedding took place that I know of,” he said, “It didn’t happen in my jail.”

Wallace said Bumpous has not been able to have visitors since his arrest. His fiancee declined to comment.