Two Twin Cities area men were convicted of being part of a multistate band of nighttime thieves that for more than two years targeted ATMs for cash and pharmacies for narcotics and, in one instance, hit an ATM in one drugstore while also stealing pills.
Derek E. Benedict, 42, of Hugo, and Lyle R. Carpenter, 41, of Hastings, were found guilty Friday in federal court in St. Paul of conspiracy, bank burglary, bank larceny, credit union burglary, interstate transportation of stolen property and burglary of controlled substances.
Six others — from Minnesota, and Wisconsin — were also charged for their roles in the thefts, which spanned from October 2009 to February 2013 and occurred mostly in the Twin Cities area. Some thefts occurred in Iowa.
The FBI said the objects of the defendants' criminal desires blanketed the metro area — from ATMs in Walgreens drugstores in Robbinsdale, Golden Valley and Circle Pines to narcotics in the Bloomington Drug store.
Four of the defendants also snatched drugs while in the Circle Pines Walgreens, according to the FBI.
Benedict, Carpenter and two others also were accused of stealing money from a safe and an ATM inside a Walgreens in Des Moines.
Carpenter has convictions in Minnesota spanning nearly all of his adult life for theft, burglary, assault, drug possession and disorderly conduct.
Benedict's long criminal history in Minnesota includes many theft convictions as well as burglary, receiving stolen property and three instances of drunken driving.
