Federal charges filed against the Venezuelan nationals accused in attempted theft from Calvert City bank 

New federal charges have been filed against a pair of Venezuelan nationals in connection to the attempted robbery and hit-and-run crash in Marshall County on January 31st.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky announced that 26-year-old Johandris Jimenez-Barrio and 20-year-old Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny after trying to break into the ATM at CFSB in Calvert City.

Bennett's office also said that Homeland Security Investigations verified the two men entered the United States illegally. 

Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro will appear before a federal judge in the near future. The two could face 50 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The judge would determine their sentence.

As reported earlier, Calvert City Police told The Lake News that they responded to CFSB in Calvert City early on January 31st for an alarm at the ATM. The officer found the key cover on the machine open. During a walk around the building, the officer saw a vehicle take off out of the lot after he was spotted by the occupants. The officer pursued the two men, later identified as Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro. 

The pursuit took them at high speed south on KY 95 where they eventually collided with a vehicle stopped at the intersection with US 68. The men fled from the collision and the officer attempted to pursue further, but broke that off to attend to a woman injured in the other vehicle. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office assisted in working the crash, but Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro got away. The woman was taken to the hospital where she was treated and released.

Surveillance footage from the bank showed the two men tampering with the ATM while wearing hoodies and black latex gloves. Then a Marshall County deputy spotted two men matching their description at the Speedway in Calvert City just off I-24. Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro saw police as they arrived and took off, but were quickly apprehended. 

A search of their vehicle reportedly uncovered a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, three cell phones, duct tape, a black mask, and a debit card. Police also determined that Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro had been living in Nashville and were wanted in a series of ATM burglaries in Tennessee.

Both men were initially charged with attempted theft by unlawful taking under $1m, possession of burglary tools, and fleeing or evading police. 

Jimenez-Barrio was additionally charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, and several traffic violations. Rios-Castro was also charged with giving an officer false identifying information.

Calvert City Police were assisted by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshall County EMS, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal. 

The men remain in state custody. 


Source story and photos courtesy of The Lake News

https://www.thelakenews.com/articles/two-venezuelan-men-arrested-after-burglary-attempt/