Five Venezuelans Plead Guilty in US Court to ATM Jackpotting
Five Venezuelan nationals pleaded guilty in a US court to attempting to steal money from ATMs using a jackpotting scheme. The operation involved installing malware to force ATMs to dispense cash, with multiple attempts successfully thwarted by surveillance. This case is part of a growing trend of ATM jackpotting incidents across the US, resulting in significant financial losses. The US Department of Justice has been actively prosecuting these crimes.
Five Venezuelan nationals have pleaded guilty in a US court to attempting to steal money from ATMs. The defendants – Luis Alberto Velasquez-Artigas, Royder Adrian Figuera-Perez, Javier Mejia, Jr., Gabriel Alexjandro Corales-Garcia, and Italo Lizandro Corrales-Carrillo – were involved in a scheme to install malware on ATMs and remotely activate it to dispense cash. The operation began in December 2025, with the individuals traveling from Indiana to carry out their planned ATM jackpotting operation.
Both attempts to install the malware and activate the device were unsuccessful, but were caught by surveillance cameras. The five defendants were subsequently arrested days later. According to the US Department of Justice, all five individuals pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank larceny. Velasquez-Artigas was sentenced to nine months in prison, while the other four are awaiting sentencing.
The FBI has warned of a growing trend of ATM jackpotting incidents across the US, with over 1,900 incidents reported since 2020, and over 700 resulting in more than $20 million in losses in 2025 alone. The FBI highlighted that these incidents are becoming increasingly common, and law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing these criminal activities.
Last week, a separate case saw Juan Manuel Gouveia-Aguilera sentenced to 96 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for his role in a similar ATM jackpotting scheme.