5 Brooklyn Men Charged In ATM Burglary Ring: DA

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — An ATM burglary scheme that targeted 11 stores in Brooklyn came crashing down Tuesday with charges for six people, some of which face up to 80 criminal charges, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales announced Tuesday.

Between June 2022 and January 2023 the robbers hit 19 stores across New York City, a string of crimes that came to a head with a high-speed chase ending with a crash and four-person arrest at LaGuardia Airport, according to the district attorney's office. The group made out with at least $86,000, according to investigators.

Six men, five of which were Brooklyn natives, face robbery, grand larceny, conspiracy and other charges in a 92-count total indictment. Alex Torres, 50, faces the most charges with a whopping 80 crimes related to 17 different incidents. Torres was arraigned Tuesday in Brooklyn alongside three of the other men, according to Gonzalez.

The group, which organized in apartments in Clinton Hill and East New York, used bolt cutter to break into stores, where they would dislodge ATM machines and take them away with getaway drivers, according to the district attorney. The group was organized with police scanners and lookout people.

Even after one key member was arrested in October 2022 for possession of an ATM and police scanner, the group continued and burglarized a bodega in Queens, according to the district attorney's office.

“These charges put an end to the multi-borough burglary-and-theft spree that potentially netted the defendants tens of thousands of dollars. This lucrative scheme undermined public safety in New York City, and today’s indictment is the next step toward holding these men accountable for their numerous crimes," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a statement.