Two men accused in ATM thefts in six states, netting $94,800 in Merced County
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- Two men accused of using malware in ATM theft conspiracy in six U.S. states
- Suspects "jackpotted" over 30 ATMs, stealing hundreds of thousands
- $94,800 allegedly stolen in Merced County in April 2025
Two men were indicted Thursday in a conspiracy over several months to steal cash from ATMs in Merced and Tulare counties, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Joel Alejandro Morantes Leal, 25, of San Cristobal, Venezuela, and Endis Daniel Gonzalez Ortega, 22, of Venezuela, were also charged in six other western states, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The press release emphasized that the men were “Venezuelan Nationals” and did not list home addresses for them.
Morantes was also charged with one count of bank robbery, one count of accessing a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, and three counts of attempting to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud.
According to court documents, Morantes and Gonzalez allegedly engaged in an ATM “jackpotting” conspiracy between April 1 and May 29, in which they stole money from ATMs at targeted banks and credit unions across the West Coast by infecting the ATMs with malware and causing them to dispense money without a valid transaction.
The targeted ATMs were in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska, Utah and Washington state, and the duo worked with others, court documents show.
The defendants and their co-conspirators jackpotted or attempted to jackpot more than 30 ATMs and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.
About $94,800 was allegedly stolen in Merced County in April 2025, court documents show.
If convicted of conspiracy, Morantes and Gonzalez face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
If convicted of bank robbery, Morantes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
If convicted of accessing or attempting to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, Morantes faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
Editor’s note: The original headline and version of this story have been edited.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM.
