STRATEGIC PARTNERS
A disgruntled bank customer in Wisconsin vents his frustration on an ATM -- in a way that's sure to have deployers hoping there won't be any "copycats.'by Ann All, editor
September 23, 1999
James Turley got caught with his pants down -- literally -- on camera. So the 35-year old Marshfield, Wis., man pleaded no contest to several charges resulting from his unusual act of vandalism last April. Apparently frustrated when he couldn't get money from an ATM at M&I Bank in Neillsville, Turley dropped his pants and urinated on the machine. Bank spokesperson Mike Hatfield acknowledged that customers sometimes react angrily when an ATM doesn't perform as anticipated, but he's never heard of anything like this. "It's hard to believe what some people do," he said. It turns out the reason Turley couldn't get cash was because he didn't have enough money in his account. Bank employees discovered a malfunctioning ATM the next morning. "It short circuited the machine," Hatfield explained. Although a closed-circuit video camera had captured Turley's act of outrage, he wasn't clearly pictured. "The camera was at the wrong angle," a Neillsville Police Department spokesperson said. "It just showed the top of his head." Since he had punched in his PIN, Turley could still be traced. That wasn't necessary, however; a woman identified as his "ex-girlfriend" turned him in. "She was disgusted with him for doing that," the spokesperson said. According to the spokesperson, Turley's judgment was impaired. "He had been drinking." Turley was charged with disorderly conduct, indecent exposure and criminal damage to property. After a day in court earlier this month, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail and three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $8,500 in restitution. As part of his probation, Turley won't be allowed to have an ATM card. That may not be an issue -- at least for M&I Bank. "I don't know if he'll continue to be a customer of ours or not," Hatfield said.
