Conviction and Deportation
Two Venezuelan nationals, Luz Granados and Johan Gonzalez-Jimenez, have been convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from US banks in an ATM jackpotting scheme. They will be deported after serving their sentences.
Modus Operandi
The pair connected laptops to targeted ATMs and installed malware that bypassed security protocols, forcing the machines to dispense all available cash. The stolen funds came directly from the banks rather than individual customer accounts.
Sentencing and Restitution
Gonzalez-Jimenez was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $285,100 in restitution. Granados was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $126,340 in restitution.
Related Investigations
The District of South Carolina shared evidence with Nebraska authorities, which led to a federal grand jury in Nebraska indicting 54 individuals in a related ATM jackpotting conspiracy.
Malware Deployment
The defendants deployed a Ploutus malware variant to force unauthorized cash withdrawals and delete evidence to conceal the attacks from bank employees.