WPBN: According to a social media post from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office (SRCSO), three guys from Texas are facing several charges after allegedly robbing ATMs in at least three states.
Deputies in Pace, Florida, stopped a car Wednesday that they believe is connected to a series of ATM break-ins that have occurred in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The individuals are thought to be members of a criminal organization based in Houston that is responsible for these crimes, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities found a large quantity of illegal substances and burglary equipment in the car during the search. A trafficking quantity of fentanyl powder, 24 bags of synthetic cannabinoids (often known as “spice”), marijuana, and tools made especially for ATM break-ins were among the things confiscated.
Andrew Bishop, age 18, Brad Fokam, age 19, and Dylon Thomas, age 20, were named as the suspects.
The three men are accused of possessing restricted substances, trafficking fentanyl, and possessing synthetic drugs with the intention of selling them. Fokam and Thomas are also facing further accusations for giving police officers a bogus identity while the inquiry was underway.
The three guys are members of a group based in Houston, Texas, that has been implicated by authorities in a string of ATM burglaries throughout the three states. Details of the group’s strategy were given by the sheriff’s office, which described it as both deliberate and audacious.
Investigators claim that the suspects would jam an ATM at a bank, making it unusable, with a card covered in glue. After that, they would wait close by for a technician to come and fix the broken machine. The suspects would ambush and rob the person once the technician had unlocked the ATM for repairs, giving them access to the money within.
The trafficking of fentanyl, a deadly and potentially fatal drug that has contributed to the continuing opioid crisis in the United States, is one of the crimes for which the sheriff’s office has stressed the gravity.
Together with the evidence of synthetic drug distribution, the finding of such chemicals raises the possibility that the suspects were engaged in more serious criminal activity than only the ATM break-ins.
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Authorities are still investigating the individuals and their criminal network in order to ascertain the complete scope of their activities and find any further accomplices. To collect evidence and link the suspects to other possible crimes in the area, local, state, and federal officials are working together.
The public has been warned by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office about the threats presented by organized crime groups, and banks and ATM service providers have been encouraged to exercise caution.
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The case emphasizes how crucial interagency collaboration is to combating illicit activity involving multiple states and prosecuting offenders.
The three suspects are being held at this time, and more court cases are expected. According to authorities, as the investigation progresses, further charges might be brought.
