Federal prosecutors say two men turned ATMs in Reno and Sparks into their own personal payout machines, walking away with about $76,000 before the scheme was shut down. The pair were federally indicted this week after investigators alleged they installed a digital device on an ATM at a federal credit union, bypassed security, and ordered the machine to spit out cash. Both defendants were ordered detained following initial court appearances in early June and are now waiting on a federal jury trial set for Sept. 15, 2026.
Federal indictment details
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the indictment names Kleiber Jovanny Garcia Rojas and Yeiker Andres Diaz-Calatayud, each charged with one count of bank theft. Prosecutors allege the two installed a small electronic device on an ATM inside a federal credit union and used it to withdraw funds while sidestepping the machine’s built-in security. Court papers say the alleged jackpotting run netted roughly $76,000 in stolen cash.
How investigators say the scheme worked
The U.S. Department of Justice outlines jackpotting as a type of attack that typically involves either malware or a so-called "man-in-the-middle" device that lets criminals send commands straight to an ATM’s cash dispenser. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a FLASH advisory earlier this year warning of a spike in these kinds of hits and recommending mitigation steps for banks and merchants, according to the IC3. Federal officials say recent enforcement efforts have been coordinated across districts in an attempt to disrupt the networks driving the thefts.
Legal proceedings and penalties
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that a jury trial for Garcia Rojas and Diaz-Calatayud is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Anne Traum, with Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gaeta prosecuting the case. Each man faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the bank theft charge, according to the indictment. Both remain in custody as the case moves through pretrial proceedings.
Why banks and customers should pay attention
The Reno-Sparks case arrives in the middle of a nationwide enforcement push that has generated dozens of related charges and indictments, as detailed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Banks, credit unions, and retail partners are being urged to take a hard look at ATM firmware, physical access controls, and monitoring systems to cut down on exposure to jackpotting tactics. Federal authorities say prompt reporting to law enforcement and through the IC3 portal helps investigators spot patterns faster and try to shut off further losses.
Court filings in the coming weeks are expected to clarify whether additional people or locations are tied to the alleged scheme and whether banks pursue civil remedies. With a trial date set for Sept. 15, 2026, the spotlight will shift to discovery and pretrial motions that could spell out the technical details of how the device was allegedly used. In the meantime, Reno and Sparks residents are left sizing up the local fallout from yet another round of high-tech ATM thefts.
