Riverside, California - Two men responsible for a series of ATM robberies in which they used power tools and a truck to forcibly open safes inside drive-up ATMs at facilities operated by JP Morgan Chase Bank have pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy that stole nearly a half million dollars.

David Joseph Silva Jr., 25, of Fontana, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank larceny, a charge that carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

Silva pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 23.

Last Monday, James William Costilow, 38, of Riverside, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge. Judge Bernal scheduled Costilow’s sentencing hearing for February 9.

During their guilty pleas, Silva and Costilow admitted that they attempted to break into Chase Bank ATMs in three counties 15 times over a six-month period. The pair successfully got into the safes inside ATMs on four occasions and conspired to steal approximately $462,093 in cash. In some of the thefts, the pair stole the entire ATM device, while in later attempts they used power saws or a “jaws of life” device to gain access to the safe inside the ATMs.

Silva and Costilow were arrested on September 22 after an unsuccessful ATM robbery in Murrieta, in which they first attempted to cut the hinges on the safe doors and then tried to pull the doors off with a truck. The attempt failed when the bumper came off the truck.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Murrieta Police Department.