CANON CITY, Colo.—Three people have been arrested in connection with the theft of $68,000 from an ATM at Power Credit Union here, KRDO reported.
Police say the suspects used a “jackpotting” scheme to drain the ATM machine along U.S. 50 and believe the case is tied to a string of similar thefts across Colorado and into Nebraska.
Cañon City Police charged Joel Alejandro Morantes-Leal with felony cybercrime, felony financial device theft, and misdemeanor third-degree burglary. Also facing charges in the Cañon City theft are Endis Gonzalez Ortega and Isabella De Los Angeles Sulbaran, KRDO said.
The trio was arrested in late May in the Denver area and taken to the Aurora ICE facility. Authorities said all three are undocumented immigrants.
Investigators believe the suspects are connected to a series of ATM burglaries along Colorado’s Front Range and in Sidney, Nebraska, KRDO noted:
- May 27 – Greeley Police responded to a theft at a Points West Community Bank ATM where $10,000 was stolen.
- May 28 – Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigated a burglary at a Points West Community Bank in Wellington. The ATM was tampered with, a hard drive was left behind, and all cash was missing.
- May 28 – Fort Collins Police were dispatched to another Points West location, but an alarm deterred the theft.
- May 29 – Around 1 a.m., a Points West branch in Sidney, Nebraska, was burglarized, with $32,000 stolen. Police say the suspects matched those seen in the Wellington incident.
Authorities estimate there have been about a dozen jackpotting thefts in the region over the past month. If convicted on all charges, Morantes-Leal and Gonzalez Ortega could face up to 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.