Four Men Charged in $500,000 ATM Theft Scheme: Here's How It Worked

Federal prosecutors in Connecticut charged four Venezuelan nationals on June 29, 2026 with stealing more than $500,000 through an unusual kind of ATM crime, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. One of those charged is Euclides Moreno Itanare, 28, of Raleigh, North Carolina.

What Is ATM Jackpotting?

The crime is called ATM jackpotting. Here's what that means: criminals install malicious software or a hidden device inside an ATM. Once activated, this software commands the machine to dump all of its cash at once—sometimes thousands of dollars in seconds. A partner then stands nearby and grabs the money as it spills out. The whole operation takes minutes.

To pull this off, someone has to physically open up the ATM and put the malware or device inside. So it's part hacking, part robbery—a blend of digital crime and old-fashioned theft.

Why This Matters

This isn't small-time crime. Jackpotting requires a team with different skills: people who can write or obtain the malware, people who scout and access ATMs, lookouts, and people to move the stolen cash. A $500,000 theft split among four people points to an organized operation with clear roles, not a couple of opportunists.

Connecticut's federal courts have seen this before. In 2018, Argenys Rodriguez, 22, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 12 months and one day by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant for his role in a similar jackpotting scheme. That case set the legal template prosecutors now use when jackpotting cases come through the district.

The fact that these four defendants are Venezuelan nationals is notable. Federal agents have tracked Venezuelan criminal networks involved in financial fraud across the United States in recent years. But being Venezuelan doesn't automatically link these defendants to any larger organization—prosecutors will need to prove what each person actually did.

What Happens Next

The case now moves into the pretrial phase. The defendants may plead guilty or go to trial. If they plead guilty, the case closes quickly but much of the detailed evidence stays hidden. A trial would lay bare how the operation worked, technically and financially. That's where we'll see the full picture of what these criminals actually did.

There's a broader context worth understanding. Banks and ATM operators are well aware that jackpotting crews don't stay in one place. Federal agencies including the Secret Service and FBI have warned that these operations cluster in specific regions for short bursts—crews hit ATMs in an area fast, then move on before law enforcement can catch up. A $500,000 theft in what was likely a short time span fits that pattern exactly.