COURT DOC: Lengthy & On-Going Investigation Results In Four Houston Area Men Charged In Mid-State ATM Thefts

Four Houston, Texas men are facing federal charges after a lengthy investigation by the FBI into a series of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) thefts in middle Tennessee and elsewhere.

Elijah Diaz, 19; Troy Alan Parker, 18; Willie Charles White, 21; and Abraham Woods, 32, were arrested on the morning of April 26, at a hotel in Holladay, Tennessee, and charged with conspiracy and bank larceny, following the theft from an ATM machine in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, hours earlier.

According to the criminal complaint, for more than a year, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Nashville has been investigating ATM thefts. Typically, the method of these thefts involve crews of individuals who steal a heavy duty capacity pickup truck, obtain large J-hooks and an industrial chain and then scout a free-standing ATM to target. These crews then use the stolen truck and approach the ATM in the early morning hours, wearing hoodies and masks. The shell of the ATM is then pried open and the J-hooks are attached to the safe and to the truck. The truck is then used to pull open the safe door, allowing access to the cash inside. After travelling to a pre-determined location, the crews offload the cash into other vehicles and abandon the stolen truck to avoid detection and apprehension. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)