Nebraska grand jury indicts more in international ‘ATM jackpotting’ scheme
Six more people have been charged by a federal grand jury in Nebraska for alleged roles in an international “ATM jackpotting” conspiracy, a crime in which malware was deployed to steal millions of dollars from automated bank teller machines.
Another 85 had already been charged. Federal prosecutors allege that Tren de Aragua is behind the jackpotting.
Tren de Aragua, which the State Department has designated a foreign terrorist organization, is a Venezuelan gang that started in a prison and has since expanded into Central America and the U.S., including Texas, New York, Colorado and Wisconsin.
According to a report from Transparency Venezuela, the group adopted its name between 2013 and 2015 but likely began operations earlier. The group has been accused of human smuggling and other criminal activity that targets migrants, including kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking.
The latest six people indicted, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska, are Venezuelan nationals. Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37, and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, were said to be residing in the Houston area. The other two are Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21.
Charges range from conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud to damage to computers.
The latest round of indictments were returned Wednesday and announced Friday by Nebraska U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods. They follow three other sets of indictments from October, December and January.
Those involved allegedly used the jackpotting scheme to steal millions of dollars in the U.S. and then transferred proceeds among the group’s members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash.
The loss to financial institutions was estimated at more than $100,000 per jackpotting attempt. The loss to the victim financial institutions was reported to be more than $6 million, with at least an additional $1.74 million attempted.
If convicted, defendants face maximum penalties of between 20 and 335 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies in multiple states.
