Four Arrested in Earlville for Multi-County ATM Tampering

On Sunday, a collaborative law enforcement operation involving the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Peosta Police Department, Dyersville Police Department, Farley Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol led to the arrest of four individuals connected to a multi-county ATM tampering investigation.

The four individuals Jose L. Barboza Escorihuela, 29; Winderlys A. Carmeza Madriz, 19; Argenis A. Parz Aular, 35; and Leonel A. R. Ramos, 26, all of Chicago, Illinois were arrested in Earlville and charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office says the suspects had allegedly attempted to “jackpot” several ATMs in Delaware and Dubuque Counties. ATM jackpotting occurs when suspects gain access to the interior of an ATM by opening its hood and manipulating internal computer components. Malware is then installed, allowing the suspects to later command the ATM to dispense large amounts of cash illegally.

During the coordinated operation, law enforcement agencies followed two vehicles associated with the suspects. The vehicles were tracked from the Highway 20 corridor, bypassing both Farley and Dyersville, where ATM tampering incidents had occurred earlier in the day. Upon entering Earlville, one vehicle circled the area while the other stopped near Community Savings Bank. Officers observed an individual open the hood of the bank’s ATM. Both vehicles were immediately stopped, and a search revealed items consistent with ATM tampering.

All four suspects were transported to and processed at the Delaware County Jail.

The investigation revealed that local law enforcement had been on alert earlier in the day based on information suggesting a group intended to target ATMs in eastern Iowa communities.

This case remains under active investigation, and additional charges may follow. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office extends appreciation to all assisting agencies for their swift coordination and professionalism during this operation.

These cases have been referred to the Delaware County Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

All four individuals involved in this “jackpotting” incident were found to be non-U.S. citizens and have since been taken into custody by immigration authorities.

Disclaimer: All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This case remains under investigation, and no further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the judicial process.