H.B. man confesses to ATM thefts

A Huntington Beach man has admitted to stealing ATMs, containing thousands of dollars in cash, across Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Richard Allen Clements, 50, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to one count of grand theft.

Ten days earlier, Clements pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court to three charges of grand theft and three charges of felony vandalism related to ATM thefts in that county.

Los Angeles prosecutors say Clements would place straps around ATMs, attach them to his truck and drive off — ripping the cash machines out of stores.

“Not only did some of the machines hold a few thousand dollars, but they also were very expensive to fix or replace,” according to a news release from the L.A. district attorney’s office.

Clements was sentenced to 16 months in Orange County jail for his crimes in that county, but he’s likely to serve that time concurrently with a two-year sentence in L.A. as part of a plea deal, according to the two counties’ district attorneys’ offices.

Clements is scheduled for sentencing in L.A. on March 10, when a judge is also expected to order that he pay restitution.

Clements is free from Orange County Jail on $100,000 bond.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck