According to court documents, four men from Colorado are facing felony charges after authorities say they attempted to steal money from an ATM in Detroit Lakes using a sophisticated hacking method known as “jackpotting.”
Becker County authorities arrested the suspects Saturday at a Detroit Lakes bank. According to court documents filed Monday, the men are identified as 24-year-old Leybnis Alejandro Infante Centeno of Northglenn, 35-year-old Anthony Javier Sanchez Paez of Aurora, 21-year-old Alejandro Jose Molina Vasquez of Denver, and 22-year-old Sneyder Jose Yoris Torres, whose address is listed as unknown.
All four are charged with unauthorized computer access for penetrating a security system or electronic terminal. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
The criminal complaint states that Special Agent Brent Fulton responded to a report of suspicious activity involving an ATM. Upon investigation, Fulton observed unusual error codes displayed on the machine. A panel on the ATM had been pried open, leaving a black pry mark. Nearby, investigators found a large black duffel bag containing a keyboard.
Authorities believe the suspects were attempting to carry out “jackpotting,” a crime in which thieves access an ATM’s internal computer system and use software to force the machine to dispense cash without the use of a valid debit card.
Bank security footage captured the suspects at the scene. Initially, Infante Centeno denied any involvement. However, after being confronted with the video, he admitted to participating in the attempted theft, telling investigators he had been offered money and acted as the driver.
Infante Centeno told authorities he waited in the vehicle while Sanchez Paez and Yoris Torres accessed the ATM. Molina Vasquez allegedly served as a lookout.
All four men remain in custody at the Becker County Jail and made their first court appearance Tuesday morning.