ATM 'jackpotting' heist: Chicago man accused of stealing $222K

Edison Landaeta Martinez

Waukesha County prosecutors accuse a Chicago man of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in less than a day through a heist that investigators described as ATM "jackpotting."

In Court:

Court records show 26-year-old Edison Landaeta Martinez is charged with three felonies. He's being held in the Waukesha County Jail on $300,000 bond, and he's due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 15.

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What is ATM jackpotting?

The backstory:

Investigators said ATM jackpotting is a "cyber physical crime" that uses technology to manipulate ATMs into dispensing all the cash they contain.

"It's more prevalent right now," said April DeValkenaere with Fortress Forensic Investigations. "If somebody essentially interferes with the use of an ATM machine, it is a felony."

ATM robberies

The backstory:

Investigators said Landaeta Martinez stole $41,000 from Summit Credit Union in Waukesha through ATM jackpotting on Nov. 16. That same day, he's accused of using the same tactic to rob two different banks – one in Wauwatosa, one in Oak Creek. The thefts totaled just over $222,000. 

Location of ATM "jackpotting" thefts

Dig deeper:

Roughly two weeks later, Landaeta Martinez made his way to Michigan, where investigators tracked his car to two different credit unions. The Madison Police Department eventually arrested him at the Waukesha Police Department's request. 

The complaint said investigators identified another suspect involved in the crimes. As of Friday night, that suspect is not in custody.

Editor's note: This story was updated with a correction.

The Source: FOX6 News interviewed DeValkenaere and gathered information from the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsWaukesha