Multi-State ATM “Jackpotting” Ring Busted in Middle District of Georgia

Venezuelan Group Tied to ATM Thefts or Attempted Thefts in Georgia, Florida and Kentucky ALBANY, Ga. – A group of Venezuelan nationals involved in a series of ATM “jackpotting” thefts across Georgia and additional states have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Hector Alejandro Alvarado Alvarez, 22, of Venezuela, and Cesar Augusto Gil Sanchez, 22, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Jan. 7 and face a maximum of 30 years in prison. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. Co-defendants Javier Alejandro Suarez-Godoy, 20, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served on Jan. 7, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Sept. 24, 2025; David Josfrangel Suarez-Sanchez, 24, of Venezuela, was sentenced to serve ten months in prison on Sept. 24, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and Giobriel Alexander Valera-Astudillo, 26, of Venezuela, was sentenced to serve ten months in prison on June 5, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Alvarado Alvarez, Gil Sanchez, Suarez-Godoy, Suarez-Sanchez and Valera-Astudillo are subject to immediate deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after serving their prison sentences. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system. “Law enforcement agencies nationwide are increasingly encountering jackpotting schemes that have ties to major criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We appreciate the strong collaboration between numerous police departments and the FBI, whose efforts led to the apprehension of this group. These individuals now face ICE detainers for immediate deportation.” “This group exploited sophisticated malware and traveled across state lines to target financial institutions, demonstrating the evolving and organized nature of modern ATM jackpotting schemes,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners nationwide to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks that threaten the security of our banking system and our communities.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the FBI began investigating ATM “jackpotting” thefts that occurred between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16, 2024, at Peoples South Bank ATMs in Macon, Americus and Albany, Georgia, with failed attempts to steal money from Citizens Community Bank ATMs in Banbridge, Georgia, and Tallahassee, Florida. In all, $24,000 was stolen from Peoples South Bank ATMs. “Jackpotting” exploits ATM vulnerabilities, causing machines to dispense cash. Criminals gather ATM details, then either use malware-infected devices or “supervisor mode” to trigger cash withdrawals. Malware was used in these thefts. Surveillance video from the ATM thefts showed the ringleader, Alvarado Alvarez, along with other co-conspirators, participating in the thefts and attempted thefts. Law enforcement also recovered Alvarado Alvarez’s fingerprints on the ATM machines in Albany and Bainbridge. On Oct. 20, 2024, Alvarado Alvarez, Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo accessed or attempted to access the ATM machines belonging to Commercial Banking Co. and Citizens Community Bank in Hahira, Morven, and Valdosta, Georgia. The group took $33,000 from the ATM in Morven and $18,000 from the ATM in Valdosta. They failed to steal money from the Haihara ATM machine. The next day, on Oct. 21, 2024, a Morven Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo. The same officer was called to the ATM theft at the Citizens Community Bank on Main Street in Morven. The officer immediately recognized the vehicle in the surveillance footage as the same vehicle he had stopped earlier, being driven by Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo. The officer immediately initiated a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) stopped the car on Interstate 75 in Tift County, Georgia. Varela-Astudillo and Suarez-Sanchez were placed into custody and taken to Valdosta Police Department. During the arrest, law enforcement discovered stacks of cash inside a black bag located in the passenger seat. Officers also found computer equipment used in the ATM thefts; 40 fingerprints were obtained and matched prints on file for Suarez-Godoy and Alvarado Alverez, along with other co-conspirators. On November 26, 2024, the Hazard Police Department in Kentucky received a burglary alarm at a Peoples Bank ATM. Alvarado Alvarez was recorded on the security camera tampering with the ATM; other banks in Perry County, Kentucky, had reported similar suspicious activities at their ATMs. Officers quickly tracked down the car seen on the security footage. Alvarado Alvarez, who was driving the car, had no proof of identification, and officers saw a large sum of cash in plain sight. Alvarado Alvarez was taken into custody possessing $67,153.00, an ATM key and several electronic devices used in the ATM thefts. A search warrant executed at Alvarado Alvarez’s motel room recovered an additional $65,600. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).