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Five Venezuelan nationals plead guilty to attempting ATM jackpotting in Kansas

FBI investigation leads to guilty pleas in attempted ATM malware thefts in Wamego and Manhattan.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 31, 2026, 4:22 p.m. ET
Five Venezuelan nationals have guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny for attempting to steal cash from ATMs in Kansas through a method known as "jackpotting," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas. The defendants — Luis Alberto Velasquez-Artigas, 27, Royder Adrian Figuera-Perez, 29, Javier Mejia Jr., 27, Gabriel Alexjandro Corales-Garcia, 33, and Italo Lizandro Corrales-Carrillo, 26 — admitted guilt in connection with attempts in December 2025 in Wamego and Manhattan, the office announced on August 31, 2026. According to court documents, the group traveled from Indiana to Kansas with a plan to install malware on ATMs to force them to dispense cash. Their attempts were unsuccessful; in Wamego, the attempt triggered an alarm, and in Manhattan, the ATM did not dispense money. Surveillance cameras captured the attempts, and the perpetrators were arrested days later. Velasquez-Artigas faces up to nine months in prison, the statutory maximum for the charge. The other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag prosecuted it. U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser encouraged banks to invest in technology to thwart jackpotting, citing an FBI report that incidents are increasing nationwide, with over 700 incidents and more than $20 million in losses in 2025 alone.

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  1. Version 131 Aug 2026, 20:22current

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