Repairman Faces Charges Of Cleaning Out Bay Area ATMs, Refilling Them With Counterfeit Bills

May 26, 2011 9:39 PM

Samuel Kioskli is accused of stealing from ATMs in San Francisco and Daly City (San Mateo County Sheriff)

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REDWOOD CITY (CBS SF) – It was en elaborate heist that nearly paid off, big time. An ATM repairman swapped out fake bills for real cash, police said, getting away with $200,000.

The phony $20 bills coming out of some Bank of America automated bank machines last July 4 didn’t fool anyone. They were printed on a photocopier and stuffed into the ATM by a serviceman, who took the real money and fled, according to investigators.

“He went into seven of these machines, took the cash out and replaced it with counterfeit, and not sophisticated, just simply taking some bills, placing them on the Xerox machine, cut them up and put them in its place in the machines,” said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County District Attorney.

The real money, $200,000, was on its way out of town, along with 64-year-old service man Samuel Kioskli, police said. Two weeks ago, Kioskli, of San Francisco, was arrested in Phoenix.

He was facing charges in court in Redwood City on Wednesday for stealing from six ATMs in San Francisco and one in Daly City.

He was nabbed in a traffic stop because he ran off without telling his wife.

“Reported as a missing person, he went into the ‘Wanted Persons’ category. Then of course the investigation followed up and they said, ‘Well maybe he isn’t just a missing person.’ And that’s what led them to say ‘Well there’s a good person to target as to who might have taken the money,’” said Wagstaffe.

Wagstaffe said the customers all got their money back, but the Bank of Americas’ $200,000 is all gone.

“He’s not a 21-year-old. This man was in his sixties, and he suddenly decided to flee the area to go for a new life. The why of it is the answer we hope to get in the proceedings,” he said. “He did get 10 months of a new life, we’re not fully sure what that new life was, but it certainly satisfied him down in Arizona I guess.”

Kioskli has pleaded not guilty to four felonies, including commercial burglary and embezzlement, and is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail. He’ll be back in court again on May 31.

Repairman Faces Charges Of Cleaning Out Bay Area ATMs, Refilling Them With Counterfeit Bills

Bloodhounds

Glad he’s in San Mateo and not SF. San Mateo County prosecutes!

john

what long hair make him look like a criminal. give me a break bigoted idiot. So every one has to look just like you if not then you just start your judgment.

dgsdgf

hey John are you still gay?
Dave

What does long hair have to do with Bloodhounds comment?
john

Yes I am. Thanks for asking.
longhair

yes you beat neck druggie
keith wren

the long hair did it for me as well… Definitively guilty!

The Cold Hard Truth

REALLY!!!! I mean he looks so honest in his photo! I’m shocked.

PeepleOurStoopid

If this was a story about saving puppies you would say how kind and caring this man was. Think about it.

trwert

is this a story of him saving puppies? No so your liberal propensity to speculate on what someone else would do and then treat that as fact is (as usual) meaningless drivel
dumb

your a dumb Pollock
isnrblog

“Your” (possesive) a dumb Pollack”?? I are a Pollack and I ain’t dumb.
Rick

Dumb, he’s no where near the intelligence of a Pollock.
Gomalio Fung

A “pollock” is a fish. Did you mean “dumb POLAK”?

Gomalio Fung

Sounds like none of you are all that bright.

KP

ROFL!!!

Gerry

Silly Samuel, had you been a politician or a banker you probably would’ve gotten away with 100x as much money.

jbupton

Exactly!
Pigs will die

100 times? Try 10,000 times. Do you even realize how disgustingly wealthy these people are?

Jack

pigs will die..your text betrays you. You are apprently some dumb jerk who will always be JEALIOUS of succe$$ that other people manage to aquire! The world does NOT owe you a living! Move your ass, you can aquire wealth, these people DO NOT stay at home and play games all day!If all fails, you could try to be an ATM repairman.
Andy

The problem is the ones who only made 10,000 times as much often did earn it – by not being a loser like ‘pigs must die,’ but the ones who made even more by stealing it used the government and get people like ‘pigs must die’ prosecuted for existing so that the cops leave the real criminals – the ones in charge – alone.

If you doubt this, read the recent article about the ‘special’ 0.01% interest loans the treasury and federal reserve made to Goldmah Sachs but not to Lehman Brothers right when the collapse happened that bankrupted Lehman and enriched Goldman.
solo_poke

How many people involved in the wallstreet scam/bailout are in jail? They print stories like these for propaganda purposes.

This guy’s only mistake was not taking more money and taking off to Cuba. No pat downs, no highway stop checks, and more freedom then in the US these days.
Atom&Yves

solo_puke LOL ‘Smatter? Envious, but too lazy to rob an ATM yourself?
greyfox

Hey! “Pigs will die” The only difference between you and the “disgustingly wealthy”
is that they have money and you don’t. You must be an Obama, share the wealth,
follower. We need more like you and we can all wallow in poverty.

David Maynard

But he was just righting a social injustice…Much like the rest of the socialists in California he thought that if the money was not his then that evil Bank of America shouldn’t have it either…so he simply conducted his own ‘redistribution of wealth’ plan. Liberals… and the Liberal state… get what they deserve

Sean inCa

Ha. Ha. Ha.
jojo

When politicians take your money, it’s called taxes. When they spend it on themselves, it’s called investment. When they’re caught, it’s all a mistake and misunderstanding.
Neber Ben Offendhedt

dats right
Godzik

The bank WILL recoup their temporary losses. They are insured against such losses. The insurance co. will file suite against Sammy’s
employer. After all is said and done, the CONSUMMER WILL PAY for Sammy’s fling. That is the reality of BIG BUCK$ in action.
ByteRider

Amen, Dave…
solo_poke

I see you wear your ignorance like a badge of honor. You are free for a pat down at the airport, and paper check on the freeways, while banksters rob everybody blind.

I bet you think when unemployment goes up, its because a whole lot of people decided to be lazy at the same time.

David Maynard

No, the unemployment rate goes up when liberals punish the evil business owners, who have worked an ungodly amount of hours to build the business to be able to employ Americans, by “redistributing” their wealth through extreme taxation and increased fees. All because, for some reason, the socialist liberals think that the lazy should inherit the earth while the hard workers are bankrupted and made equal with the least common denominator. Remember, without employers… aka… evil business owners, there would be no unemployment rate because there would be no employment only a tyrannical dictator who decides when we are allowed to eat or move about our country.

JDB

Just learning from Obama and the democrats.
SpreadThe Wealth

He didn’t do anything near as bad as the FEDERAL RESERVE does to us EVERY DAY. Their thefts are in the billions. Stupid Evil Bank got what it deserved, I hope he had FUN in Arizona for those 10 months!

MARIO KENNY

this^ I have no pity for BOA or any bank he should have madeoff with more and he should have been more cunning.

Abdul

Typical teabagger remark!! LOL

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/scuppers/71299-epic.html#post861565 EPIC – Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

[...] EPIC FAIL Repairman Faces Charges Of Cleaning Out Bay Area ATMs, Refilling Them With Counterfeit Bills CBS San… [...]
Don Bailey

What I don’t get is why did he put fake bills in the machines? Why not just take the loot and scoot?

cracker

Well, this is just a guess, you understand,,BUT, It’s kinda’ like spitting on the floor in the court room…………during your trial.
Al Phresceaux

Just guessing – The machins sense the stack of bills and report that they are getting low, so the fakes would buy some time to make his rounds and get out of town.
SpreadTheWealth

Because…it’s FUNNY? And the photocopied versions are probably worth as much as the greenbacks if not more, once you factor in the cost of the electricity the Xerox machine used.

Justin Naugle

Why is this a problem. They should just stop prosecuting people for stealing cash all together. I mean what is the real harm. The Federal Reserve will just counterfe…eeer I mean print more money anyways, right?

Peter

Your a thinking man, Justin.

Sean inCA

That’s you’re…….

David Maynard

That is the truth.. I hear that they counterfeited another 29 billion last week. Wish I could get away with that.
H

Very wise. Abolish the IRS ,Leave us alone and just print away. Worthless fiat money. Read The Creature from Jekyll Island.
TE Driver

Paper of equal value. Where is the problem?

ByteRider

Lol! You have a point, TE.. the fake bills are probably more valuable than the real ones– especially in light of today’s economic news.

bubba

hope and change! world net daily dot com. obummer’s bc a fraud
IvanK

The Bush & Obama Administration has robbed it’s citizens out of a couple TRILLION dollars and I don’t see too many people complaining about that huh?

Peter

You are as ignorant as your name implies.

Ignoramus

How do you figure, Peter? IvanK sounds spot on to me… Printing money with no backing devalues the currency, and thus surreptitiously taxes anyone holding the US dollar. How is that not stealing? The Fed are not elected, so it amounts to taxation without representation.

You, sir, are rather ignorant yourself. What say you?

Sean in CA

Right on! While everyone else was watching American Idol the fed, wall street and bankers were looting everyone’s home equity. The mindless trolls know nothing about how we were ALL ripped off, yet they can name the starting lineup of the Yankees along with all of Jeter’s personal stats in their sleep. Ignorant fools deserve their fate.

PHILLY JIM

tex, cano, jeter, A-Rod, Martin, Granderson, Swisher, Gardiner, Posada,and im a Yankee hater, but what does that have to do with anything..
is knowing sports and following whats going on with the government,fed, wall street, etc mutually exclusive?
Sean in CA

People ignore what’s really important, that’s my point.

solo_poke

Try 27 trilllion, why do you think the accounting section of the pentagon got hit on 911? To burn the evidence.

Jason

It’s Geddy Lee!
Peter

The paper he put in the machines was worth as much as the paper he took out. What is the complaint. They should be arresting the bankers who allow for the use of the counterfeit money from the Fed.

H

Couldn’t agree more. Just paper. Read the Creature from Jekyll Island, and learn how our government and the Fed are robbing us working people blind.

SockRayBlue

Since the pay is so high I think he was just readjusting his paycheck.
RVT1K

Samule Kioskli – Blackie Lawless

Separated at birth?
http://investmentwatchblog.com/atm-serviceman-cleans-out-machines-refills-with-photocopies-of-cash/ ATM Serviceman Cleans Out Machines, Refills With Photocopies Of Cash « InvestmentWatch

[...] The real money, $200,000, was on its way out of town, along with 64-year-old service man Samuel Kioskli, police said. Two weeks ago, Kioskli, of San Francisco, was arrested in Phoenix. – CBS [...]
Brett

Wow those black guys just don’t want to work, huh wait a minute?
Eric S.

Why was it so hard to figure out who did it? When an ATM serviceman stopped showing up for work the day after the money went missing, shouldn’t it have been obvious? Why did they need the tipoff from his wife?

David Maynard

Because it is Cali and San Francisco… they can’t possible accuse anyone of wrong doing.

Brad

Good one!

tylerjake

He looks like someone related to San Fran’s beloved Pelosi!
welrdelr

They did not know until his wife reported him miissing ?
Seven ATMs and no video tape ???
Brandon

Umm, Ok why would you not leave the country?
Hank Warren

Jail for stealing from banks but no jail for bankers stealing from people, yet another violation of our rights. Add it to the list of gov’t violations of our rights:
They violate the 1st Amendment by placing protesters in cages, banning books like “America Deceived II” and censoring the internet.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns.
They violate the 4th and 5th Amendment by molesting airline passengers.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting undeclared wars for foreign countries.
Impeach Obama, vote for Ron Paul.
(Last link of Banned Book):
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000190526
j14401s

Now this was a story waiting to happen. I’m shocked that it hasn’t happened before. What an opportunity for a real counterfeiter to make some bucks.

surfwriter

Its possible that it has happened before. If the counterfeits were good enough, people would have taken their ‘cash’ from the ATM and spent it. It would only be noticed weeks later as the phoney dough made its way back to the bank….

Rags

Only difference between this guy and Nancy Pelosi is that Nancy gets away with stealing from citizens—and calls it lawful. You people in SF are clueless.
http://right-thinking.com/2011/05/27/now-thats-a-retirement-plan/ Now that’s a retirement plan! » Right Thinking

[...] of properly funding the member’s retirement plans, and the economy is out of control, some people are taking matters into their own hands. Anyway, that’s the spin I am putting on this story, which happened in the San Fran area – this [...]
JERRY

HOW DID HE GET THE JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE
LOOKING LIKE HE DOES.