Venezuelan Nationals Indicted in ATM Hacking Scheme That Stole Over $80,000 in Missouri

St. Louis, Mo. (KFMO) - Two Venezuelan men have been indicted for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars through a sophisticated ATM hacking scheme across multiple Missouri cities.

22-year-old Berny Alberson Meza-Rojas and 31-year-old Anthony Brijan Sorondo were each indicted on June 4, 2025, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny. Both men appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Federal prosecutors say the men were part of a group that tampered with ATM machines to gain control and trigger them to dispense large amounts of cash. According to the indictment, on March 27, the suspects stole more than $11,000 from ATMs in Bloomsdale and Herculaneum. Just days later, from March 29 to March 30, they allegedly took more than $70,000 from machines in O’Fallon, Festus, Ste. Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau. A federal detention motion indicates both men entered the United States illegally and are also tied to similar ATM “jackpotting” incidents in Iowa and Kentucky.

Jackpotting refers to a type of cyberattack where thieves manipulate ATMs to dispense all their cash.

If convicted, Meza-Rojas and Sorondo each face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.