Iowa Man Pleads Guilty: Stolen Vehicle, Forklift ATM Heist, High-Speed Chase

Have you ever looked at an ATM and thought, "You know what this situation needs? A forklift." Apparently, an Iowa man did just that. It's how a bizarre theft spree got the attention of the FBI and ended with a guilty plea in federal court.

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According to federal prosecutors, 56-year-old John Fitzgerald Bennett of Gilbertville, Iowa pieced together what almost sounds like the plot of a low-budget heist movie involving a group of comedians. The alleged operation began with a stolen pickup truck, escalated to a stolen forklift from a construction site, and culminated in the theft of an ATM from a Cedar Falls credit union, but not before destroying another ATM. Apparently, criminals think alike too, based on all the YouTube videos of these various theft attempts.

The plan was incredibly ambitious. Bennett first attempted to remove an interactive teller machine from one credit union using the forklift. When that effort failed after the machine tipped over, he simply drove the forklift down the street and tried again at a second credit union. This time, he successfully loaded an ATM onto the forklift, transported it back to the stolen truck, and drove away. At that point, the scheme was bordering on ingenious in its sheer audacity; you know, right up until law enforcement caught up with him.

Officers responding to alarms located the stolen truck, but Bennett chose not to surrender. Instead, he led police on a roughly 40-minute long pursuit spanning 46 miles, including stretches on Interstate 380 where authorities say he reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.

The chase finally ended after the truck crossed multiple sets of stop sticks. By the time the vehicle came to a stop, most of its tires were gone, and the damaged truck was essentially riding on its rims. The stolen ATM was still sitting in the truck bed.

If there was any lingering doubt about the seriousness of the case, federal authorities noted Bennett has previous convictions involving credit union burglary and larceny. The FBI ultimately joined local law enforcement agencies in the investigation. Bennett has since pleaded guilty to credit union larceny and faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. Additionally, in cases with heavy damage to privately owned property, restitution in this case for the ATMs alone could reach six figures. By the way, this wasn't Bennett's first attempt at Credit Union burglary/larceny.

The lesson here? If your criminal master plan requires stealing a truck, a forklift, and an ATM; we're now aware of the outcome, if it was ever in doubt. Add in that high-speed chase for good measure and there's a good chance the FBI (and everyone else) is eventually going to learn your name.