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A felon wanted in California and with over two dozen prior arrests has been repeatedly granted bond throughout Texas, raising questions about repeat offenders being released back onto the streets around the country.
In 2022, authorities charged Carlos Rusi and three other Houston men with a bank jugging case in Burbank, California, according to FOX 26.
Rusi, who was suspected of committing other similar thefts throughout the area, allegedly skipped bond in July 2023 – subsequently forcing authorities to name him as a wanted fugitive.
Prior to Rusi’s 2022 alleged California jugging spree, he reportedly spent three years in a Texas prison for engaging in organized criminal activity in what was not his first time behind bars.
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Carlos Rusi received separate prison sentences in 2018, 2015, 2011, 2008, 2006, and 2005 for various convictions on felony cases stemming from charges of robbery, organized criminal activity and drug-related crimes in Texas, according to KPRC 2. (iStock; FOX 26)
His lengthy criminal record includes more than 30 arrests spanning several years and showcases 26 mugshots dating back to 2006, according to KPRC 2.
Additionally, records show he received separate prison sentences in 2018, 2015, 2011, 2008, 2006, and 2005 for various convictions on felony cases stemming from charges of robbery, organized criminal activity and drug-related crimes, the outlet reported.
Last year, Rusi was sentenced to five years of probation after accepting a plea agreement over charges of robbery and evading arrest.
In July, while on probation in Harris County, Rusi allegedly followed a 71-year-old man from his bank to a local coin dealer, where police say he shoved the man to the ground and robbed him.
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The Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Security camera footage led investigators to Rusi’s gray Volvo, which was registered to a car rental company, KPRC 2 reported.
The vehicle’s rental agreement was reportedly registered to Rusi’s mother and returned after the alleged robbery took place – with investigators subsequently finding previous reports in which Rusi’s mother rented vehicles for her son, who would then use them to commit crimes.
One day later, police said Rusi followed another individual from a Bank of America in Fort Bend County and robbed them at gunpoint, according to KPRC 2.
Later in July, as officers were performing surveillance of the suspect’s vehicle, he allegedly returned to the same bank and followed several victims for 28 miles, KPRC 2 reported. When the individuals stopped at a gas station, Rusi allegedly broke into their vehicle and snatched the woman’s purse – which contained $5,200 cash.
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Carlos Rusi has been released on bond in multiple counties throughout Texas, despite having numerous prior convictions and a warrant for his arrest in California, according to FOX 26. (iStock)
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Officers reportedly arrested him shortly after and recovered the purse.
Rusi was charged with theft in Harris County following the incident, but was released on a $75,000 bond on July 21 while still on probation, according to KPRC 2.
In August, Pearland Police allege Rusi broke into a car in a Walmart parking lot and stole $100 cash after following the victim from a nearby ATM, the outlet reported.
In September 2025, Rusi was reportedly arrested in Montgomery County for a similar jugging case, but was released from jail on a $25,000 bond. He was taken into custody again in October after allegedly testing positive for drugs while out on bond in Montgomery County, but was re-released on Nov. 4.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment, citing Rusi’s pending case.
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During the same month, while on probation, Rusi was convicted of misdemeanors for falsifying a drug test and displaying a fake handicap placard, KPRC 2 reported.
In November, he was reportedly handed a second bond in Harris County stemming from the alleged July robbery. The next day, he was also granted bond in Brazoria County.
Currently, Rusi remains out on bond, despite the various charges spanning multiple counties throughout Texas and the active warrant for his arrest in California, according to FOX 26.
“What jumps out is that this isn’t one bad call, it’s a chain of release decisions across jurisdictions,” Bobby Taghavi, a Texas-based attorney and managing partner of law firm Sweet James, told Fox News Digital.
“When someone described by police as a repeat offender with a long history is still receiving probation and multiple bonds, and is also reported as a wanted fugitive out of California since 2023, that raises a serious red-flag question – was the full-risk picture consistently in front of every court and judge at the time those decisions were made?”
Court records indicate that various officials throughout the Texas counties were unaware Rusi was a wanted man, despite details of his alleged California crime spree appearing on Internet searches, FOX 26 reported.
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However, according to Taghavi, the blame falls on government officials involved in every step of the criminal process.
“This kind of failure usually happens when critical information isn’t surfaced, confirmed and emphasized in real-time, especially out-of-state warrant status at the moment bond or probation decisions are being made,” Taghavi said.
“Responsibility is typically shared across the system. Prosecutors need to present the complete record and argue risk, judges must evaluate it, probation departments must accurately report supervision status, and law enforcement must ensure warrants and holds are properly entered and actionable.”
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The pattern of Rusi’s habitual criminal behavior being met with only a slap on the wrist has also raised concern for community leaders in Texas.
“I’ve never in my life seen anything as absurd as this,” Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers told FOX 26. “Shame on our criminal justice system for continuing to allow this defendant to roam our community and to steal our property and to hurt people.”
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Rusi’s attorney and Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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While Rusi remains on the streets pending trial, Taghavi suggests the saga could signify an overarching problem plaguing local and state authorities regarding repeat offenders being released into communities as officials remain in the dark.
“If it’s one missed check, that can be an isolated oversight,” Taghavi told Fox News Digital. “But when the same person is reportedly able to obtain probation and bonds across multiple jurisdictions, it starts to look more like a systemic breakdown in coordination and verification – not just one-off human error.”
Fox News Digital’s Olivia Palombo contributed to this report.