By Forum Staff
A 33-year-old Queens man has been arrested for “jackpotting” an ATM –getting it to dispense cash without a card¬¬– and charged with grand larceny.
Eric Salazar Montano, of Hollis Court in Auburndale, stole nearly $250,000 from two hacked machines, while posing as a technician. Montano hit machines in Elmhurst and Kew Gardens, forcing the machines to dispense cash as if the user had literally hit a slot machine jackpot.
The defendant is accused of using his computer skills to hack into ATM software and steal the cash that came out of the machines.
Montano and another suspect, who is as of yet no been arrested were observed on various video surveillence cameras at the locations where they were wering phoney uniforms and taking money from the machines dispnsed without the use of a bank card.
The defendant was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Toko Serita on a complaint charging him with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree computer tampering, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and computer trespass.
Judge Serita set bail at $30,000 bond or $15,000 cash and ordered the defendant to return to court on March 27, 2018.
If convicted Montano faces up to 15 years in prison.
Law enforcement agents executed a court-authorized search warrant on Montano’s residence recovered a forged credit/debit card and more than $42,000 in cash.
