In what might seem like a scene from a desperate crime comedy, two men from Maryland were caught converting air compressor quarters into ill-gotten gains. Authorities in Gordon County apprehended the suspects after a theft from a coin-operated air machine at a local convenience store near Calhoun was reported on November 27. The suspects, identified as Wilbur Flores and Luis Viera, both 33, were later found in their Chevy SUV attempting another break-in at a nearby store, less than an hour after the first theft had been reported, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
These two men didn't hold back on their unconventional heist. Deputies recovered over $1,000 in quarters, along with a crowbar—indicating the force used to pry open the machines—and a shop vac, which likely played a key role in collecting the coins, as per the details from the Miami Herald. While this modern-day crime didn’t involve masks or a shadowy escape, it showcased sheer audacity, leaving both men facing charges related to the calculated thefts.
The scope of their operation spanned from Maryland to Georgia; one of the arrested men reportedly disclosed to officers that they had been targeting these coin-operated machines over a significant distance, suggesting a level of premeditation and boldness. The Gordon County Sheriff's Office, remarking on the incident, indicated that a stolen license plate was also among the items seized during the arrest, a detail lending itself to the concept that these men were preparing to stay elusive from the clutch of law.
