Men use unlikely tool to steal thousands in quarters from air machines, Georgia cops say
Two men got creative and stole thousands of dollars worth of quarters, using an unlikely household tool in the heist, Georgia deputies said.
The accused thieves — two 33-year-old men from Maryland — were arrested Nov. 27 after a report of a theft from a coin-operated air machine at a convenience store near Calhoun, the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 1 news release.
The duo fled in a Chevy SUV but was caught breaking into another machine about an hour later, authorities said.
“Deputies found over $1,000 in quarters in their automobile, along with a stolen license plate, a crowbar used to break into the machine, and a shop vac they used to extract the coins,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities learned the men were staying at a motel, where deputies found “several thousands of dollars” more in stolen quarters.
Deputies said one of the men acknowledged targeting air compressor machines from Maryland to Georgia. Authorities didn’t say what charges the men are facing.
McClatchy News reached out to the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office for more information on Dec. 4 and was awaiting a response.
Calhoun is about a 70-mile drive northwest from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 4:37 PM.