Four Venezuelan citizens living in the United States were prosecuted after an investigation revealed that they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from Connecticut ATMs, according to officials.
According to a release from U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan, Euclides Moreno Itanare, a 28-year-old living in North Carolina; Willian Ricardo Flores, a 49-year-old living in the Bronx; Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla, a 41-year-old living in Queens; and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla, a 38-year-old living in Massachusetts, were charged in the scheme.
According to Sullivan, Itanare, Flores, Alberto Freites Arvilla, Luis Freites Arvilla, and others conspired in August 2025 to steal cash from at least nine ATMs in Connecticut using a “jackpotting” scheme. He explained that jackpotting frequently includes the use of specialized hardware and malware that forces an ATM to dispense its held cash.
According to Sullivan, the defendants used ATMs in Milford and Ansonia, as well as at rest spots along Interstate 95 in Fairfield, Branford, Madison, and Darien. He stated that their behavior was consistent throughout the thefts.
Sullivan stated that while Luis Freites Arvilla served as a lookout, Alberto Freites Arvilla opened the ATM’s hood, accessed the internal components, and then fled the area. He said Luis Freites Arvilla, Itanare, and Flores took turns withdrawing money from the ATM over the following several hours.
According to Sullivan, the defendants would occasionally change clothes to avoid suspicion when accessing the same ATM many times. He said that the group took $529,220 from eight ATMs between August 8 and August 18, 2025.
Sullivan stated that they were unable to steal any money from the ATM in Ansonia owing to a software patch that safeguarded the ATM from that type of theft. He stated that the four were arrested on June 25, 2026, on federal criminal complaints charging them with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy.
If found guilty, Sullivan stated that they might each face up to 15 years in prison.
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