Two men plead guilty to breaking into ATMs in the Inland Empire
Two men have pleaded guilty to stealing nearly half a million dollars from ATMs in the Inland Empire.
David Joseph Silva Jr., 25, of Fontana, and James William Costilow, 38, of Riverside pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank larceny.
The duo admitted to attempting to break into 15 ATMs in a six-month period. They successfully gained access to money inside the ATMs on four occasions, stealing $462,093 in cash, according to the Department of Justice.
On one occasion, Silva and Costilow stole the entire ATM. In other attempts, they used power saws or a “jaws of life” device to get into the machines, the department said.
The men were arrested in September after an unsuccessful ATM robbery in Murrieta. They will be sentenced in February and face up to five years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Murrieta Police Department and the FBI.
Follow me @sjceasar
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
