AUSTIN, Minn. — A Houston, Texas man involved in a dramatic ATM theft in southeastern Minnesota has been sentenced following his guilty plea earlier this year.
22-year-old Markell Deshawn Kinney was one of three individuals captured on surveillance footage stealing an ATM from First State Bank in LeRoy during the early morning hours of January 11. The suspects used a silver pickup truck and a chain to forcibly remove the machine, which is valued at more than $35,000.
According to the Mower County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an ATM alarm around 3:20 a.m. and began pursuing the suspect vehicle, which fled south toward Iowa. During the chase, the vehicle overturned on a gravel road near the state line.
Kinney briefly evaded arrest after fleeing the crash scene but was later captured in Stacyville, Iowa, approximately 20 miles southwest of LeRoy.
He was charged with multiple felonies, including:
Theft
Receiving stolen property
Property damage
Fleeing law enforcement
Court records show Kinney pleaded guilty to theft, property damage, and fleeing, while the receiving stolen property charge was dismissed under a plea agreement.
On Thursday, Kinney was handed a two-year stayed prison sentence, meaning he will avoid incarceration if he complies with the court’s conditions during his probation period.
Authorities have not disclosed the amount of cash stolen or released information regarding the two other suspects involved in the heist. The investigation into their identities is still ongoing.
