Four men have been arrested and charged for allegedly stealing over $529,000 in an elaborate 'jackpotting' scheme targeting ATMs at rest stops along Interstate 95 in Connecticut, federal prosecutors announced.
Details of the Heist
The group targeted at least nine cash machines during a 10-day spree in August 2025, according to a press release from the US attorney's office. Prosecutors allege the men used 'specialized hardware and malware' to corrupt the machines and force them to dispense an almost unlimited amount of cash.
In a single raid at a northbound rest stop on I-95 in Fairfield, the gang stole $136,000. Their total haul reached $529,220 from eight ATMs between August 8 and 18, 2025, court documents state. A software patch installed to prevent such robberies thwarted the alleged robbers at another machine in Ansonia on the first day of the spree.
Suspects and Method
The four suspects are Euclides Moreno Itanare, 28; Willian Ricardo Flores, 49; Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla, 41; and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla, 38. Two live in New York, one in North Carolina, and one in Massachusetts. All are citizens of Venezuela.
'For each of the thefts, the pattern of behavior was similar,' the press release said. 'Surveillance video shows that while Luis Freites Arvilla acted as a lookout, Alberto Freites Arvilla opened the hood of the ATM, accessed the internal components of the ATM, and then left the area.' Over several hours, the others took turns withdrawing cash. The group also changed clothes to avoid suspicion when approaching the same ATM multiple times.
Arrests and Charges
The four were arrested on Thursday after a joint investigation by the FBI, Connecticut state police, and police departments in Raleigh, North Carolina, and New York. They remain in custody awaiting court proceedings on charges of interstate transportation of stolen property, carrying a maximum 10-year prison term, and conspiracy, punishable by up to five years.
The US attorney's office released photographs allegedly taken by the robbers showing them tinkering with ATMs and displaying large wads of cash. The Guardian reported in 2018 that ATM manufacturers and the US Secret Service warned about cybercriminals targeting machines with malware for cash extraction.
