A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant have been issued against two Venezuelan men accused of conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, along with Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department.
Court records reveal that on January 31, 2025, Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, 26, and Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro, 20, both Venezuelan citizens, allegedly tried to steal money from an ATM in Calvert City, Kentucky. When the Calvert City Police Department responded to an ATM alarm, the suspects fled at high speed in a vehicle before colliding with another car and escaping on foot. They were later apprehended near a service station. A search of their vehicle uncovered items including a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, a mask, and duct tape.
Homeland Security Investigations confirmed that both Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally.
The two men are currently held in state custody and are expected to make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a future date. If convicted on all charges listed in the complaint, they face up to 50 years in prison, fines totaling $500,000, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
It is noted that there is no parole system within federal sentencing.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, HSI, and Calvert City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee from the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office.
"A criminal complaint is merely an allegation," authorities stated. "All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."