San Diego resident Son Nguyen is facing serious charges after attempting to burglarize ATMs using explosives, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. The 44-year-old was arrested at his Mira Mesa home and is scheduled for an initial federal court appearance on Monday.
Nguyen's alleged crimes involved using an explosive device to attempt to access cash within ATMs. Authorities say he was caught on surveillance footage during the incidents, evidence that was instrumental to his capture; he was unsuccessful in both attempts to retrieve money from the machines. On June 8 at a California Coast Credit Union and again on June 28 at a First Citizen’s Bank, actions that have now led to a federal complaint charging him with two counts of damaging property.
The arrest followed weeks of investigation, where law enforcement officials connected Nguyen to the incidents through video surveillance, vehicle registration, and facial recognition. When FBI agents searched Nguyen's home under a court-authorized warrant, they uncovered various explosive materials and a firearm. This search was detailed in the complaint, "a paper that explains how to make black powder" was found along with the other suggestive items.
"Fortunately, neither of these incidents resulted in injury or successful theft of cash," U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said, pointing out a small silver lining in an otherwise troubling case. The investigation headed off potentially more dangerous attempts by uncovering the cache of hazardous materials at Nguyen's residence. If convicted, Nguyen could face a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison for the use of an explosive to damage property, a severe charge reflecting the potential harm such actions might pose to the public.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Shital Thakkar prosecute the case under case number 24-mj-03215.
