Federal prosecutors unsealed charges on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, accusing four Washington, D.C. residents of joining a multi-jurisdiction ATM robbery conspiracy that allegedly turned hydraulic rescue tools, better known as “jaws of life,” into instruments for ripping open cash machines. The indictment says the crew ferried tools and stolen vehicles across borders, assigned specific roles from getaway driver to the person wielding the hydraulic gear, and tried to destroy surveillance as they went. Authorities say the alleged spree stretched across Maryland and the District in a series of planned, high-risk break-ins.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged Jeff Crews, 35, David Walker, 40, Maurice Roots, 35, and Kevin Bing, 31, with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act, according to DC News Now. Prosecutors allege the men used masks, handheld radios and power and prying tools to hit ATMs inside convenience stores, then tried to hide or launder some of the cash. The DC News Now report says the filing describes a coordinated pattern of robberies across multiple nights.
Investigators have tied the new indictment to earlier arrests in the region. In March 2025, Prince George’s County police arrested three D.C. men — Crews, Walker and Roots — in a string of 7-Eleven ATM break-ins that authorities said netted roughly $200,000 and relied on hydraulic rescue tools, as documented by FOX 5 DC. A prior roundup for local readers on the same case, trio charged in Prince George's ATM hits, traced how those arrests unfolded.
How prosecutors say the crew worked
According to the indictment described in news reports, the alleged crew gathered at prearranged meet-up spots, shifted tools into stolen vehicles, then fanned out to hit multiple locations in a single night. Prosecutors say one member focused on prying open the ATM while others subdued employees and tried to destroy cameras before anyone could get a clean shot of their faces. The filing also claims the group sometimes torched cars used in the crimes and coordinated over radio traffic to speed their getaways. The U.S. Attorney’s Office had previously detailed similar rescue-tool tactics in a 2024 release about a larger ATM ring operating in the broader DMV region, and investigators say that earlier case helped establish trends across jurisdictions (U.S. Attorney’s Office).
Legal outlook
Federal prosecutors have brought the case under the Hobbs Act, which criminalizes robbery or conspiracy that affects interstate commerce and carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years per count under federal law (Legal Information Institute). Additional charges, such as arson, firearms offenses or money laundering, could raise potential penalties if they are filed later. An indictment is an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Next steps include initial appearances in federal court and possible extraditions for any defendants still held in local custody. Prosecutors have not set a trial date. Law enforcement has asked anyone with information to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office or Prince George’s County Police while the investigation continues, according to local reporting.
