Bitcoin Bandits Hit Atlanta Smoke Shop to Flee With Bitcoin ATM
In what may very well be the first stateside crime of its kind, two bold thieves walked up to a targeted smoke shop in Atlanta. One of them was armed. The other stole a Bitcoin ATM.
Two hooded thieves made their way to the Village Smoke Shop on Juniper Street to steal a Bitcoin ATM on Tuesday evening. A surveillance camera at the store captured the robbery in its entirety.
https://youtu.be/mKIdZkuCcbs
Store manager Amanda McCollum approached them as they struggled to drag the machine away when one of the thieves drew a handgun to shoot at the floor. The thief did not realize that
Speaking to local news outlet 11alive, McCollum said:
“I was like ‘what are you doing?! And that’s when he fired the shot and told me to back up.”
Atlanta Police Department Spokeswoman Elizabeth Epsy confirmed that while the firearm was drawn and shot, nobody was injured.
Epsy also confirmed that both men joined two more suspects in a red, late 80s Chevrolet Cavalier, which was used as the getaway car.
Store manager McCollum added that the man who routinely services the ATM told store employees after the incident that he had emptied the machine a couple hours before the thieves struck.
Despite the claim of the serviceman emptying the ATM earlier, Epsy spoke to local publication CL and revealed that the Bitcoin ATM contained “$2000 or $3000 in U.S. currency’ while “the machine is valued at $7,000.”
McCollum revealed the store had been targeted in the past for petty thefts, but this was the first incident involving a gun. She also points to the likelihood of the store investing on increased security such as a nighttime security guard, additional cameras and putting bars on store windows.
McCollum did not get a good look at the suspects’ faces.
“It was a little scary,” she added. “But I learned a lesson not to approach somebody who’s stealing anything ever again. Just let them take it and deal with it afterwards.”
The store manager also said the Bitcoin ATM won’t be replaced anytime soon.
Featured image from Shutterstock.
