Man admits to using truck to steal ATMs in L.A., Orange counties

A Huntington Beach man is expected to serve two years in jail after admitting to using his truck to rip ATMs containing thousands of dollars in cash from stores across Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Richard Allen Clements, 50, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday to one count of grand theft. Ten days earlier, Clements pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court to three counts of grand theft and three of felony vandalism related to ATM thefts in that county.

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

“Not only did some of the machines hold a few thousand dollars, but they also were very expensive to fix or replace,” Los Angeles prosecutors said in a statement.

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 prosecutors.

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

In Orange County, Clements is out on $100,000 bond.

jeremiah.dobruck@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeremiahDobruck

Jeremiah Dobruck is a Times Community News staff writer.