Security

Wisconsin Brown County law enforcement suspect organized group behind ATM attacks

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September 6, 2022

Investigators in Brown County, Wisconsin, suspect there is an organized group behind a recent string of ATM thefts. Most recently, the group stole money from a Chase Bank in Allouez, where they stole a "substantial amount of money," Lt. Brian Slinger of the Brown County Sheriff's Office said in a report on Fox 11 News.

In a similar incident, thieves tied a rope to an ATM in Grafton and removed it. A group also took an ATM off its base in Howard but were unable to steal any money.

"We're thinking this is a organized group that's probably traveling the country doing this. We've had numerous instances within the past few months of this occurring around here," Slinger told the news outlet.

"The biggest headache, frankly, for the bank, is replacing the machine," Rose Oswald Poels, CEO and president of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, said in the report "You know, if it's been pretty well damaged, they can't put it back into reuse. And these machines cost anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000 or more."

The investigation is ongoing.