A federal grand jury has indicted a group of illegal immigrants from South America, primarily Chilean nationals, for their alleged involvement in a series of sophisticated bank robberies that targeted more than 29 banks and credit unions across California, Oregon, and Washington.
Prosecutors say the crew used construction crew disguises, blowtorches, and cellphone jammers to steal over $4 million in cash between May and October.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that the group scouted vulnerable ATMs, rented nearby short-term vacation properties, and used cars acquired through black market rentals to facilitate their operations.
Nine of the 11 individuals charged were arrested last week, while two others were taken into custody in Washington on October 30.
In one notable incident in Modesto, California, the alleged robbers broke into a business adjacent to a Wells Fargo and created a hole in the wall to access the bank’s ATMs.
Another attempted robbery in Fall River Mills involved the use of blowtorches and power tools to breach the bank’s interior vaults, although the bandits were interrupted and fled, leaving behind some of their equipment.
Authorities recovered hundreds of pounds of burglary tools, disguises, fake identification documents, and over $100,000 in cash from various rental properties in Oregon and Washington.
All defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, while several, including Moyano, Celis, Osorio, Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Lagos, and Jimenez, are also charged with bank robbery. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison for bank robbery and five years for conspiracy.