Howard Pharr and Kevin Hutchinson were not criminals. They had never been involved in a crime before but when the two fell on hard times financially, they decided to turn to robbing banks and stealing cars to make some fast cash. Neither of them were criminal masterminds and it ended up sounding more like a slapstick comedy than a crime spree.
Sources:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/how-not-to-rob-a-bank?
https://www.newspapers.com/image/363802019/?terms=Howard%20Pharr&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/364236058/?terms=Howard%20Pharr&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/363942316/?terms=%22Kevin%20Hutchinson%22%20&match=2
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/18/texas-oil-prices-1980s/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/640718981/?terms=%22howard%20pharr%22%20&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/777598801/?terms=%22howard%20pharr%22%20&match=1