TOPEKA (KSNT) – Two Venezuelan men are facing possible deportation after they recently pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a reported ‘jackpotting’ scheme involving Kansas ATM machines.
Danielle Thomas with the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release that two Venezuelan nationals, a 22-year-old and a 20-year-old, could be deported after completing their prison sentences. The men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny after Pottawatomie County deputies arrested them for trying to install malware onto ATMs in Wamego and Manhattan as part of a jackpotting operation.
Jackpotting involves installing malware into an ATM to force it to give out large amounts of money, according to the DOJ. ATM jackpotting incidents are rising nationwide, according to an FBI report issued in February. The FBI reported more than 1,900 incidents since 2020.
Thomas said each defendant involved in this case, five people in total from Venezuela, was sentenced to time served as part of their plea agreements. However, they also waived their right to challenge a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge, per the Immigration and Nationality Act.
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“The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division doesn’t directly take part in deportation hearings,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “However, when we are prosecuting non-citizens for federal criminal offenses, we are cognizant of when their conduct merits prompt removal from our country, saving the taxpayer the cost of incarceration. By offering plea agreements that include restrictions on appealing removal orders, we are helping to expedite the process of extracting convicted felons from within our borders and minimizing the expense of their prison stay.”
Both the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation participated in an investigation into this jackpotting scheme.
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