A quartet of Venezuelan nationals has been federally charged in connection with an August 2025 ATM jackpotting spree in Connecticut, stealing more than $529,000 from eight machines along Interstate 95.

Surveillance video and photographs show a consistent, coordinated pattern: one lookout, others installing hardware and malware, with multiple trips to the same machines and occasional clothing changes to evade notice.

Authorities say the incidents were captured on surveillance video, underscoring the repeatable method across several sites.

Context for risk: prior warnings from ATM makers and the U.S. Secret Service about jackpotting attacks have framed the ongoing vulnerability of cash machines.

Images released by the U.S. attorney’s office allegedly depict the men handling cash and manipulating ATMs, reinforcing the theft narrative.

The indictment describes a modus operandi with a lookout named Luis Freites Arvilla while another suspect accessed ATM internals, followed by others withdrawing cash over hours and changing clothes to target the same machine again.

Specifically, a lookout coordinated the operation as hardware and malware were installed to force ATMs to dispense cash, with repeated visits and disguise through clothing changes.

Surveillance footage identifies the roles: Luis Freites Arvilla as lookout, Alberto Freites Arvilla accessing internals, and Itanare and Flores taking turns withdrawing cash over several hours.

Federal data show jackpotting incidents have surged in the U.S. since 2020, with more than 1,900 cases, over 700 in 2025, and more than $20 million stolen that year.

The total haul from eight Connecticut machines reached $529,220, though a software patch blocked one attempted theft in Ansonia on the spree’s first day.

Prosecutors say the group used specialized hardware and malware to force ATMs to dispense cash, including a major haul of $136,000 at a northbound rest stop in Fairfield.

The defendants face federal charges of interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy, with potential penalties up to 10 years and five years respectively.