PLANO, Texas — What should’ve been a quick stop at the ATM turned into a costly ordeal for one Plano man.
Jonathan Hogue said he was simply trying to withdraw cash on July 20th when something didn’t feel right.
“It just really made me mad I got stolen from,” Hogue said. “It’s just an example of somebody out there not caring about other people.”
Plano police say Hogue fell victim to a scheme called “cash trapping.”
Police said the suspect would place a metal device over the slot where money comes out of the ATM. Customers hear their cash dispensing but never see it. They leave, thinking the machine is malfunctioning, while the thief later removes the device and pockets the money.
Plano PD says the man behind the scheme is Ionut Aurel Iova, a Romanian national with a lengthy criminal history. Iova reportedly had 56 warrants out of Canada. He has prior contacts with law enforcement in multiple countries.
Jerry Minton with Plano Police said he was arrested earlier this month in Houston and now faces several charges.
“He was waiting for the victims to leave,” said Plano Police Detective Jerry Minton. “Then he’d come in behind them, take the device off, remove the cash, and either put the device back on or walk away.”
Plano PD said it’s already happened twice at the Bank of America off Preston Road. So far, the department said they’ve received only two reports, but they believe there may be more victims.
Hogue says he came forward to make sure others don’t experience the same financial loss.
“I don’t want what happened to me, or anybody else, to happen to anybody else.”
Police urge anyone who experiences an ATM malfunction where money doesn’t dispense to report it immediately instead of walking away.