The latest on the attempted ATM heist at bank in Gainesville
photo submitted In an attempted heist of the outdoor ATM machine at Stockmens Bank in Gainesville last week, an unknown suspect wrapped a chain around the machine and ripped it from its normal location. The dark marks near the lower right side of the photo show the path the machine made after being removed. When the sheriff and deputies arrived, the ATM was still connected to the truck, which had been abandoned attempting to go up the hill at Baker Street, the street shown to the left of the parking lot here, not far from the parking lot exit.
Stockmens Bank officials and an Ozark County deputy oversee the removal of the damaged ATM, which had been ripped from its normal location at the bank’s drive-thru and came to rest on Baker Street. Workers then moved it back into the bank’s parking lot to load and remove, where this photo was snapped.
Before dawn broke over Gainesville last Thursday, (03/26/26) the sound of metal tearing and engines revving marked a brazen attempt to steal an ATM, one that ended abruptly with a truck abandoned in the street, passenger’s door still open, and the machine left behind.
The attempted heist occurred at 4:11 a.m. March 26, when an Ozark County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher was alerted to a commercial motion alarm triggered at the outdoor ATM at Stockmens Bank on Elm Street in Gainesville, according to Sheriff Cass Martin.
After receiving the notification about the triggered alarm, the dispatcher contacted the sheriff and Lt. Matt Rhoades to inform them of the alarm - then attempted to contact the bank’s keyholder to assess the situation, as there are times when commercial alarms in town are triggered by accident as employees try to enter buildings or there are false alarms.
However, when the sheriff and deputies arrived, they found quite a scene. A white Ford Power Stroke diesel truck had been left abandoned on nearby Baker Street after its driver and/or passengers connected a chain onto the ATM and ripped it from its location near the drive-thru area. After pulling the machine out of the parking lot and onto Baker Street, the small city street that runs between the bank and Highway 5 north, they attempted to head up the hill.
But, at some point, they abandoned the plan, leaving the parked truck with ATM attached on the street. The passenger’s door was also left open, the report says.
The officers worked with the dispatcher to check the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES) and found who the truck was registered to. It came back as owned by a resident who lives on Fair Street, about a mile away.
Deputies Hunter Ryan and Gannon Moss went to that residence at 5 a.m. to speak with those residents, who reported that it had been stolen sometime overnight.
The officers called Ron’s Recovery of Gainesville to request that the truck be towed to the sheriff’s department, where it was processed and later returned to its owner.
The Ozark County Times made a Facebook post with a photo of workers loading the damaged ATM machine that morning onto its Facebook page where it soon took off, being shared more than 200 times.
“We have made progress in collecting information,” Sheriff Martin told the Times. “Since the Ozark County [Times] Facebook post was made, citizens have called and reported further details that have helped our investigation.”
The sheriff said these tips are often what lead to an arrest. “If you see something, say something,” he said. “Report all information that might be related - no matter how big or small.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office at 417-679-4633. All tips will be handled discreetly, and efforts will be made to protect the identity of those who come forward.
The Ozark County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and has also requested assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “Any information from the public would be greatly appreciated and could be crucial in identifying those responsible,” Sheriff Martin said.