Two Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members have been sentenced for conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with an ATM jackpotting scheme, Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced.
According to Fitch’s office, Darrin Moises Daza-Segura and Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa traveled throughout Mississippi reprogramming bank ATMs to dispense large amounts of cash. The crime is commonly known as ATM jackpotting.
Officials said disrupting the group prevented nearly $180,000 in potential fraud losses.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our Cyber Fraud Task Force, we were able to prevent nearly $180,000 in losses, deprive TdA gang members of money to fund their crimes, and set up the deportation of two criminal illegal aliens,” Fitch said. “We are proud to stand with our local, state, and federal partners to stop this criminal scheme in its tracks.”
United States District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced both men to 10 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, followed by three years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay $47,250 in restitution to the affected banks.
Fitch’s office said both men entered the country illegally and will be subject to deportation after they are released from prison.
The case was investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Madison Police Department, Raymond Police Department, Tupelo Police Department, Amory Police Department, Duncanville Police Department in Texas and St. George Police Department in Utah. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Fitch created the Mississippi Cyber Fraud Task Force in partnership with the U.S. Secret Service in 2021.
