Alas, all good things come to an end, but cherish the memories.
An ATM-robbing double-act wanted for a string of cash machine explosions in Florida is now in police custody following an unsuccessful attempt to transport the criminal operation north across the state line to Georgia.
Mawdo Malick Sallah, 33, of Clearwater, Florida, and accomplice Kirk Douglas Johnson, 34, of Anderson, South Carolina were arrested early Sunday after failing to turn a profit from their very latest blast.
The two men certainly succeeded in blowing up an ATM at a Bank of the Ozarks branch in Watkinsville, Georgia at around 3am on the day of rest. The only problem was that the internal safe connected to the machine remained intact after the explosion.
Sallah and Johnson were caught fleeing the scene empty-handed, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
The arrest follows a months-long federal investigation into a spate of ATM explosions in Florida’s Tampa Bay area.
Starting last November, the pair allegedly blew up three ATMs, amassing around $70,000 in cash from their incendiary handiwork, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
On each occasion, investigators believe the duo used a hose to fill the machine with a flammable liquid or gas before igniting a spark.
Sallah and Johnson are also suspected of spray painting and vandalizing three other ATMs, in crimes dating back to last July.
Using data from cell phone towers near each crime scene, agents were able to identify a recurring set of phone numbers belonging to the two men. They then tracked the pair’s movements, following them on their latest bungled venture and ensuring law enforcement officers were on hand to make the arrest.
Sallah and Johnson were charged with first-degree arson, manufacture of an explosive device, second-degree criminal damage to property and conspiracy to commit a felony.
They face a mandatory minimum term of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This was an ingenious way to make some money. They had a decent run by the sounds of things, but all good things come to an end!