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Over Half a Million Dollars Stolen From ATMs in Connecticut in "Jackpotting" Scheme, FBI Says
Investigators said the crew used hardware and malware to force ATMs to dispense cash, including one $136,000 haul in Fairfield.
Federal authorities charged four Venezuelan nationals on Monday for a "jackpotting" scheme targeting Connecticut ATMs, alleging they stole more than $500,000 between August 8 and August 18, 2025.
The suspects used specialized hardware and malware to force ATMs to dispense cash, with surveillance footage showing Itanare, Flores, Alberto Freites Arvilla, and Luis Freites Arvilla changing clothes during hours-long heists to avoid suspicion.
Investigators recovered $529,220 from eight successful heists, including $136,000 from a single Fairfield location. A ninth attempt in Ansonia failed after a software security patch prevented the theft.
Following their June 25 arrests, all four men remain held without bail while facing federal interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David X. Sullivan announced on Monday.
Officials are currently reviewing other ATM thefts to determine links to the same crew, as this prosecution falls under a Homeland Security Task Force initiative protecting the public against cross-border criminal activity.