Tren de Aragua members charged in New England ATM jackpotting conspiracy

Two alleged members of the Venezuela-linked Tren De Aragua (TdA) gang have been charged in an ATM jackpotting plot that included robberies and attempted robberies across New England, according to federal prosecutors.

Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz and Lestter Guerrero, both 29, were charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced in a news release.

Authorities said both men were in the United States illegally.

The duo is accused of thefts and attempted thefts from ATMs in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They allegedly installed malware directly into the ATM’s software programming to force the machine to dispense all of its money.

Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz was charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)

Prosecutors said a federal investigation is underway into a nationwide plot allegedly coordinated and committed by TdA members to steal money from ATMs using malware, a scheme called ATM jackpotting.

Martinez Gutierrez and Guerrero were arrested Feb. 5 in Augusta, Maine, after an attempted jackpot theft from an ATM, according to charging documents.

Martinez Gutierrez is believed to be linked to at least five other ATM jackpot thefts across New England, including thefts that occurred Dec. 31 in Norwich, Connecticut; January 20 in Braintree, Massachusetts; January 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire; and attempted robberies on January 14 in Coventry, Rhode Island, January 19 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

Lestter Guerrero is seen pointing his cell phone at an ATM with Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz in the passenger seat. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)

Guerrero is believed to be linked to at least one other jackpot theft, along with Martinez Gutierrez, on January 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire.

If convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, both men could face sentences of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

TdA allegedly developed revenue streams through a series of criminal activities, including jackpotting ATMs to steal millions of dollars from financial institutions, prosecutors said in court documents.

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The two men were arrested on February 5 in Augusta, Michigan, after an attempted jackpot theft from an ATM. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Jackpot proceeds are typically distributed among gang members and associates to disguise their provenance, according to court documents.

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Members are often asked to split the profits from a jackpot operation, with 50% reserved and sent to gang leaders in Venezuela and 50% divided among the individuals running the ground operations.

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