They arrived in building vests and surgical masks, armed with sign jammers, sledgehammers and blowtorches. The financial institution heist crew, made up of primarily Chilean nationals, hit a number of banks throughout California, in response to federal prosecutors, and made off with $2.5 million.
In Fresno, the crew hit a Wells Fargo in Might and used instruments to get inside an ATM vault via an adjoining unit and made off with greater than $80,000 in money. The subsequent month in Auburn, they scored $226,000 from a Golden 1 Credit score Union department and adopted that up a number of days later by stealing cash from two ATMs in Clovis estimated to have carried $150,000-$200,000 every.
Members of a financial institution heist crew scouted out areas for his or her robberies and sprayed lenses of surveillance cameras with black paint.
(U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace)
However earlier this month, 10 people believed to be a part of the crew have been charged in reference to the robberies. Prosecutors within the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Japanese District of California charged Alex Moyano Morales, Maite Celis Silva, Erik Osorio Olivarez, Pablo Andres Valdez Rodriguez, Rosa Francisca Bastias Serra, Camilo Andres Sepulveda Guzman, John Doe 2, Bassil Alejandro Cacosta Frias, Camilo Alarcon Alarcon and Michelle Alondra Parada Muñoz on Oct. 21. The fees have been first reported by the East Bay Occasions.
The suspects have been both concerned in scouting out areas, breaking into banks or different actions associated to the robberies, in response to prosecutors. Authorities level to over a dozen robberies or tried robberies from June 14 via Sept. 22, starting from Lengthy Seaside to Yuba Metropolis. FBI brokers say they consider the identical ring is linked to a January theft in Houston.
Most of the suspects within the case have been beforehand arrested in California, Florida and Chile. One suspect is initially from Venezuela and a number of suspects have aliases, in response to courtroom information.
A confidential informant claims that Moyano is linked to a number of robberies in different states and he’s the chief of the group, referred to by the FBI because the South American Theft Group, in response to courtroom information. Moyano was arrested on March 13 in Glendale the place there was a warrant out for his arrest underneath his alias, Nicholas Hernandez.
FBI brokers say they began their investigation into the financial institution heist crew in Might and linked their signature techniques to a number of robberies throughout California. The crew dressed up in varied employee outfits, scouted areas forward of the robberies, compelled their method into an adjoining enterprise to a financial institution and used sign jammers to disable wi-fi safety gadgets. Additionally they used sledgehammers and blowtorches to get into the vaults.
Photographs of a crew of robbers that used instruments to interrupt right into a Wells Fargo ATM vault in Might 2024 and make off with greater than $80,000 in money. Ten individuals have been charged in reference to the robberies.
(U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace)
An essential break within the case got here when three automobiles have been linked to normal areas of robberies in Fresno, Modesto, Roseville, Rocklin, Yuba Metropolis and Fall River Mills, in response to courtroom information.
A silver Chevrolet Suburban, a silver Audi SUV, and a white Ford Explorer have been all current in or across the robberies or tried robberies.
In September, the Chevrolet was pulled over in Simi Valley, however the driver was not linked to the crew. The car was reported stolen by a Hertz rental firm, however the driver claimed he rented the automobile from a membership promoter generally known as “xtrackz.” Prosecutors didn’t present the membership promoter’s actual title, however FBI brokers interviewed him and realized the car was rented to a person named “Gordito,” later revealed to be Moyano.
Moyano was unaware that the Chevrolet was geared up with an Apple AirTag monitoring gadget. The car’s location historical past coincided with Airbnb leases on a number of theft dates, in response to courtroom information.
On Sept. 18 the crew broke right into a Wells Fargo in Fresno the place they made off with $247,000. They broke into the ATM vault by slicing via the wall of a pet spa subsequent door, in response to prosecutors. Surveillance footage of the suspects contained in the pet spa earlier than the theft confirmed one suspect distracting an worker whereas one other examined the sturdiness of a wall. One of many suspects, sporting an upside-down LA hat, will be seen spray portray a surveillance digicam outdoors the enterprise with black paint.
The Airbnb was rented to Celis, who had additionally rented a number of different Airbnbs throughout California that matched the instances and areas of a number of different ATM burglaries or tried burglaries, in response to courtroom information.
Members of the financial institution heist crew scouted out areas and close by companies, usually concealing their identities with surgical masks.
(U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace)
Surveillance footage from the Airbnb leases in Turlock and Mount Shasta confirmed the suspects transferring into the rental models with hard-case toolboxes, software luggage and backpacks, which matched tools that was seen at a number of of the robberies.
Federal investigators say the automobiles related to the group have been additionally captured on license plate readers in Oregon and there have been at the very least two ATM robberies dedicated there across the similar time. Federal brokers obtained a search warrant for Instagram accounts belonging to Moyano, the place they found he recorded a baby shuffling massive stacks of hundred-dollar payments and in one other publish was proven holding a number of stacks of money.
In mid-October, federal brokers tracked the white Audi to an Airbnb in Oregon. The suspects rented the placement from Oct. 16 to 22. All three vehicles linked to the group have been current on the rental location, in response to surveillance footage. Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Dacosta and Alarcon have been all current on the Airbnb.
The group grew to become suspicious that police have been closing in on them and so they left in a rush on Oct. 18, courtroom information present. The next day, investigators discovered theft instruments and power instances contained in the deserted rental unit.
On the identical day, the white Audi’s location information led federal investigators to an Airbnb in Seattle. Bastias and Sepulveda have been pulled over and arrested. Valdez, Dacosta, Alarcon and one other man tried to drive away in a silver Ford Fiesta, however they have been additionally pulled over.
FBI brokers surrounded the Seattle residence and ordered everybody to return out. Parada and one other lady got here out and have been arrested. It took three brokers to get a cell phone out of Parada’s palms whereas she was being arrested, in response to an FBI affidavit.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the Airbnb and located about $20,000, together with backpacks and clothes that matched what the group wore throughout their earlier heists, in response to courtroom information.
Celis gave beginning on Monday whereas in custody. She’s requested the courtroom to permit her daughter to stay together with her after she is discharged from the hospital.
