Springfield man gets seven years for five attempted ATM thefts

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield man accused in five attempts to steal ATMs has pleaded guilty to attempted stealing and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

Judge Todd Myers gave him a seven-year sentence on each of five counts of attempted stealing. The terms are to be served concurrently. Four counts of property damage were dismissed.

Online court documents state that Roy A. Schrickel, 46, and his accomplices went to five different banks or credit unions in Springfield, attached a strap to the automatic teller machines and attempted to drive away with them as a way to get into the ATM vaults.

Total damage during the incidents between Dec. 10 and Dec. 14, 2023 exceeded $50,000.

A U-Haul was reported stolen on Dec. 9 from South Campbell Avenue and was identified as being used in three attempted thefts, according to a probable cause statement.

The vehicle used in the final two attempts was identified on Dec. 16 and pulled over by Springfield Police. Schrickel was identified as the owner of the vehicle but was not in the car at the time of the stop.

Additionally, Schrickel’s license was located on the floorboard. Police used surveillance and obtained a warrant on a cell phone that was found in the vehicle to determine Schrickel’s involvement in the attempted thefts.

During a post-Miranda interview, Schrickel arrived at police headquarters and admitted to attempting to steal numerous ATMs. He also admitted to knowing the U-Haul van was stolen.

Schrickel told police that he got the idea of trying to steal ATMs from YouTube videos.

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