ATM Repairman Accused Of Filling Machines With Fake Cash

An ATM repairman was nabbed in Phoenix on charges of having stolen about $US200,000 in ATM funds from San Francisco-area branches of Bank of America. His method was almost brilliant in its sheer stupidity: He pocketed the cash, and replaced it in the machines with “counterfeit or photocopied $US20 bills”.

Samuel Kioskli, 64, used his key-card to access the ATMs and was captured on surveillance video swapping out the dough at seven separate branches. The day after he pulled off the heist, he “abandoned his wife and disappeared,” according to the District Attorney. Around the same time that his wife filed a missing persons report, B of A customers were calling to complain that the ATMs had fed them obviously counterfeit currency.

Kioskli was granted $US25,000 bail, plus a one-time user surcharge of $US3. He declined the transaction. [SFGate.com, mugshot via San Mateo County Sheriff]