Lang
3/8/25
A second suspect has been charged for his alleged part in stealing over $13,000 from Iowa City convenience store ATM’s.
22-year-old Daniel Villegas was booked into the Johnson County Jail just before 5:45 Thursday night. Iowa City Police say Villegas and 50-year-old Cristian Chira walked into L&M Mighty Shop on East Burlington Street just before 11:15 Thursday morning and began using the two ATM’s at different times. They allegedly used a special card that contained a code that overrode the ATMs’ functions and forced them to dispense all of their cash at once. The code on the card also alters the ATM ledger, showing the transactions as being legal and approved by a customer’s financial institution. The combined amount of stolen cash is listed at $13,080.
Villegas and Chira were captured by police when they arrived at another store location that uses the same company’s ATM.
Villegas, who has no known address, and Chira, whose address is listed simply as “Romana” in arrest records, are each charged with 1st Degree Fraudulent Practice and 1st Degree Theft. If convicted, they each face a maximum of 20 years in prison.