Cross‑Country Cash Caper: Two Young Men Sentenced

A pair of Texas men, both in their twenties, have been sentenced after a month‑long spree that saw them target ATMs across five states. The offenders used a clever trick: sabotage an ATM, wait for a repair worker to arrive, then intimidate or assault the technician and steal the exposed cash cassettes.

The Heist Timeline

• December – The pair glued a Bank of America machine shut in Vancouver, Washington. While the device was being repaired, they walked out with nearly $400 000. Phone photos showed them posing with piles of money shortly after the thefts.
• January–February – Violence escalated. In one incident they dragged a technician to his knees and threatened him with a screwdriver; in another, they repeatedly punched the worker. They always wore gloves, masks and hoodies to conceal their faces and used cars with fake or stolen plates.
• June – They robbed machines in Tigard and Hillsboro, Oregon, assaulting the people making withdrawals. The next day they hit an ATM in Portland, Maine; a technician was nearly knocked unconscious after a brutal attack.
• Final stop – In Jackson, Mississippi, police seized guns and the stolen cash from their vehicle, ending the spree.

Legal Outcome

Both men pleaded guilty to four bank robbery charges and two attempted robbery counts. Their sentences were severe: one received nine years, the other ten. A defense lawyer argued that one of the men grew up in a hotel with his mother and viewed ATMs as a means to support his family, requesting a lighter sentence of just over seven years. The judge rejected this and imposed the full term.