Federal prosecutors say a high-tech scheme turned several Arvest Bank ATMs into rogue cash dispensers across central Oklahoma, spitting out roughly $235,500 over just two days in January.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on March 3, accusing two Venezuelan nationals of using malicious software to “jackpot” Arvest Bank machines in Chickasha, Moore and Norman on January 19 and 20. The indictment charges one count of conspiracy to commit bank theft and two counts of bank theft tied to those locations.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester identified the defendants as Ender Enrique Munoz Perez, 30, and Angel Raphael Medina-Taguaripano, 24. Charging documents describe coordinated travel to multiple Arvest ATMs and the alleged use of software tools to seize control of the machines’ internal systems so they would spew cash on command, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma.
Local reporting notes that the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office led the investigation and that Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London is prosecuting the case. That coverage also echoes the alleged timeline and the approximately $235,500 total loss tied to multiple ATMs across the three cities, as reported by OKC Fox.
How investigators say they pulled off the ATM hits
Prosecutors say the method was classic “jackpotting.” In schemes like this, attackers gain access to an ATM’s computer brain and install malware or otherwise tamper with the software so the machine follows the crooks’ instructions instead of the bank’s. In this case, the alleged malicious programs gave the defendants remote control over Arvest ATMs and enabled coordinated cash dumps at different sites, producing the combined loss cited in the charging documents, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma.
Charges, potential prison time and what’s next
The indictment carries potential penalties of up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to ten years for each bank-theft count, along with possible fines of up to $250,000 per count, according to local reporting on the charging documents. Both prosecutors and local coverage stress that the charges are only allegations at this stage and that Munoz Perez and Medina-Taguaripano are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Court filings will set the dates for arraignment and any detention hearings. Materials submitted to the grand jury also list the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative referenced in the charging release, as reported by OKC Fox.
