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A multi-agency law enforcement investigation into malware attacks on ATM machines in Connecticut and nearby states led to the arrest of Springfield, Massachusetts resident Argenys Rodriguez earlier this year.
Rodriguez has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release for his role in the ATM “jackpotting” scheme. He was also ordered to pay $121,355.38 in restitution.
John Durham, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said that Rodriguez and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme referred to as “jackpotting,” where “individuals use malware that is designed to cause an ATM to eject all of the U.S. currency contained in the machine.”
As part of the scheme, suspects dress as legitimate repair technicians and install the tech on the ATM. A separate group then extracts the cash from the machine.
Investigators were alerted on Jan. 27, when employees at Citizens Bank in Cromwell reported what appeared to be a “jackpotting” attack on an ATM. Upon arrival, officers found Rodriguez and Spanish national Alex Alberto Fajin-Diaz near an ATM that had been compromised with malware and was actively dispensing $20 bills.
Further investigation into the two found that they had the tools and electronic devices consistent with items needed to compromise an ATM in their vehicle. R
odriguez was also found in possession of $5,600 cash, though the investigation determined that a total of $63,200 had been taken from the machine on the date in question, Durham noted.
The investigation determined that the two men and other co-conspirators had illegally taken $63,820 from that ATM.
On June 18, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Fajin-Diaz pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 12. He has been detained since his arrest on Jan. 27. Rodriguez remains released on a $250,000 bond and is ordered to report to prison on Nov. 26.
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