2 arrested in multi-jurisdiction ATM scam

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Authorities arrested two people in what Charleston Police are calling a series of sophisticated ATM thefts across multiple jurisdictions.

Officials with the Charleston Police Department said their investigation began on Feb. 21 when an ATM owner reported that several of his machines had been accessed fraudulently.

Charleston PD detective determined the suspects used software to bypass the ATMs’ security systems and then emptied the cash inside the machines.

The thefts resulted in the loss of roughly $70,000 across the tri-county.

Officials say the investigation involved complex coordination across multiple jurisdictions that included law enforcement from Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Together, they were able to identify the arrest the two suspects.

“Charleston Police Detectives used body camera footage provided by a Florida law enforcement agency, stemming from a minor vehicle crash earlier this year. That footage helped confirm the identity of one of the suspects and tied him to the vehicle used in the ATM thefts.”

Vladyslav Shyrokyi , 29, of Florida, has been charged with three counts of safe cracking. Nikita Ptushkin, 35, of California, has been charged with two counts of safe cracking.

Both were arrested in Monroe, North Carolina on March 8. They are being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center where additional charges may be pending from other jurisdictions.