WEST FARGO (trfnews.i234.me) – A man has been arrested by the West Fargo Police Department for his involvement in a series of ATM thefts. According to authorities, he is part of a group of Venezuelans who targeted ATMs in the Fargo area.
Henry Theis, 25, was stopped early Saturday morning while driving an unlit vehicle parked at an ATM outside a Gate City Bank. During the stop, police discovered that the vehicle’s VIN number matched one involved in an attempted theft earlier that night in Fargo.
The officer searched Theis’s car and found a latex glove, a facemask, a computer keyboard, cables, and a bag containing nearly $25,000 in new $20 bills inside. Through an interpreter, Theis admitted to being part of a group of hackers involved in “jackpotting” ATMs.
Theis described the elaborate scheme involving other men, another car, software, and a key that allows them to hack ATMs using a virus to retrieve cash. He said their plan was to jackpot other ATMs in the area but only got one.
Later that morning, police put out information to other law enforcement which led to a traffic stop on I-29 in Codington County in South Dakota. Deputies there arrested Jefferson Rodriguez-Quintero and Ryber Sanchez, who were booked into the Codington County Jail.
Court records say, in recent weeks, banks in Fargo and West Fargo have been victims of theft totaling nearly $100,000. Theis told officers that another group he knows of does jackpotting, calling them the “magicians” who are also from Venezuela.
Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me