For the last several month, the Mobile police department has been plagued by a number of ATM burglaries, all of which appear to have used the same MO. A recent arrest in Mississippi for an ATM break-in now appears to be the Mobile police’s hoped-for “big break.”
The common MO
Most of the ATM thefts in Mobile targeted machines that were out of service. The suspected robbers usually employed a truck and a strap with high tensile strength to forcibly remove the ATM machine from its foundation, take the machine to a secure location, and using force to extract cash from the machine. In the latest heist, the suspects went after an out-of-service ATM in Jackson County, Mississippi. Shortly after the robbery was reported to the police, Louisiana State Police stopped a black Cadillac in Lake Charles. The reasons for the stop are not clear. The Cadillac was being driving by one of the three men thought to be involved in the ATM burglaries in Mobile. His passengers included two other man who were thought to be suspects in the Mobile robberies.
Two of the men are awaiting extradition to Jackson County on charges of motor vehicle theft and commercial burglary. Meanwhile, Mobile police are trying to figure out if any connection exists between the recent burglary in Louisiana, just across the state line from Alabama.
What happens now?
The suspects now in custody are facing serious federal and state criminal charges. Conviction could mean a significant prison term and a hefty fine. Anyone facing similar charges may benefit from consulting an experienced criminal defense attorney who can evaluate the evidence, devise a useful defense strategy, and, when appropriate, assist in negotiating a satisfactory plea agreement.
