In a bold and meticulously orchestrated heist, four Venezuelan nationals have been charged with transforming ATMs at Connecticut rest stops into personal cash dispensers. Federal prosecutors revealed that the group accumulated over $529,000 in merely a fortnight through a sophisticated “jackpotting” scheme.
The scheme targeted ATMs located along the bustling Interstate 95 and various other sites across Connecticut between August 8 and August 18, 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the accused employed a combination of specialized hardware and malware to manipulate the machines into releasing their cash reserves.
Authorities have identified the suspects as Euclides Moreno Itanare, 28, hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina; Willian Ricardo Flores, 49, of the Bronx, New York; Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla, 41, from Queens, New York; and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla, 38, residing in Lynn, Massachusetts. The group was apprehended on June 25, facing charges including interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy.
All four individuals, the prosecution noted, are Venezuelan nationals. They allegedly orchestrated the theft by utilizing advanced technological tools to breach the ATMs and subsequently transported the purloined $529,000 across state lines, further deepening their legal predicament.
This high-tech heist, while short-lived, underscores the persistent vulnerabilities in ATM systems and the lucrative allure of such coordinated cybercrimes. The case continues to unfold as prosecutors build their case against those allegedly behind this audacious operation.
Federal authorities said the men targeted ATMs in Milford and Ansonia, as well as I-95 rest stops in Fairfield, Branford, Madison and Darien.
In one alleged haul, the crew stole $136,000 from an ATM at the I-95 northbound rest stop in Fairfield, according to prosecutors. Other alleged thefts included $84,000 from an I-95 southbound rest stop in Madison, $66,400 from an I-95 northbound rest stop in Branford and multiple hits in Darien totaling more than $177,000.
Euclides Moreno Itanare, Willian Ricardo Flores, Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla allegedly opened ATM hoods, accessed internal components, used cards and PINs to make the machines spit out cash, then took turns collecting the money over hourslong thefts, according to prosecutors. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut)
Prosecutors said the alleged scheme followed a similar pattern each time: one suspect acted as a lookout while another opened the ATM’s hood and accessed its internal components.
Over the next several hours, the men allegedly took turns walking up to the compromised ATM and collecting cash as it was dispensed.
The suspects sometimes changed clothes to avoid drawing attention when returning to the same machine multiple times, according to court documents.
Investigators said the case was built in part on surveillance footage, phone records, Google and Apple account records, and photos allegedly recovered from the suspects’ devices.
According to the criminal complaint reviewed by News Media, one suspect’s Apple account contained photos of victimized ATMs before and during the thefts, images of cash in a vehicle and black plastic bags, and photos allegedly showing suspects counting money in New York hours after a Connecticut rest-stop theft.
One attempted hit at a Cumberland Farms ATM in Ansonia was blocked because a software patch protected the machine from that type of theft, prosecutors said.
All four men are currently detained. If convicted, the stolen-property charge carries up to 10 years in federal prison, while the conspiracy charge carries up to five years. News Media has reached out to attorneys for Flores, Luis Arvilla and Alberto Arvilla.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from Connecticut State Police, the Raleigh Police Department and the New York City Police Department. Officials said the investigation remains ongoing as authorities look into whether the same alleged crew can be tied to other ATM thefts.
The complaint alleges photos from one suspect’s Apple account showed at least some of the men counting large amounts of cash in New York hours after the Connecticut ATM thefts. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut)
“Jackpotting” incidents are on the rise in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.
In a report issued in February, federal investigators said that of 1,900 ATM jackpotting incidents reported since 2020, over 700 of them with more than $20 million in losses occurred in 2025 alone.