A late-night ATM caper in Dexter that was supposed to spit out easy cash instead ended with a fatal crash and a federal felony. Yosue Manuel Gonzalez‑Moy, a 24-year-old Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to break into a drive-through ATM at Chelsea State Bank in Dexter, federal prosecutors said. Authorities say he was working with members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and tried to rig the machine for a remote “jackpotting” theft during an October 12, 2025, attempt. The plan fell apart when an alarm sounded and the crew tore off, with a co-conspirator later dying after crashing while fleeing the scene.
How the ATM ‘jackpot’ was supposed to work
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gonzalez‑Moy used a counterfeit key and a cordless drill to get into the ATM and installed a device that was meant to let co-conspirators remotely force the machine to spit out cash. Prosecutors describe the method as “ATM jackpotting” and say no money ever came out because the alarm cut the operation short and the suspects bolted. During a post-arrest interview, Gonzalez‑Moy admitted he was associated with Tren de Aragua, which federal authorities describe as a transnational criminal organization. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Bilkovic and Tim McDonald are prosecuting the case.
Surveillance video, a high-speed chase and a fatal crash
Security footage and court filings reviewed by CBS Detroit show Gonzalez‑Moy opening the ATM door, placing a small black box inside, then heading back to a red Chevrolet where the group had stashed its gear. Washtenaw County deputies later tried to pull that car over. The chase hit roughly 74 miles per hour in a 50-mile-per-hour zone and ended when the driver lost control and slammed into a tree, later dying from his injuries. Deputies found Gonzalez‑Moy injured in the back seat. Investigators say he first denied having anything to do with the attempt, then changed his story and said Tren de Aragua members had mapped out a route of ATMs for him and pressured him to follow it.
Linked to a broader national ‘jackpotting’ investigation
Federal officials say what happened in Dexter fits into a bigger wave of ATM attacks tied to Tren de Aragua that investigators have been tracking around the country. As outlined by the Department of Justice, multistate indictments accuse the group of using jackpotting tactics and malware to steal millions of dollars and send the proceeds back to the organization under a Homeland Security Task Force operation.
Charges, possible sentence and what comes next
Gonzalez‑Moy pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank larceny and faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison, according to CBS Detroit. Sentencing will be set by the federal court.
