Man Shoots Bitcoin ATM, Gets 5 Years Probation

• Matthew Klinger – a 51-year-old Jefferson City, Missouri resident – has been sentenced to five years of supervised probation after admitting to shooting a bitcoin ATM with a handgun.
• It remains unclear whether the machine had any faults, however, he said he did it „so that it could not take money from anyone else.“
• He left the weapon on the porch of his home and admitted everything to his wife before calling the police.

Overview

Matthew Klinger – a 51-year-old Jefferson City, Missouri resident – has been sentenced to five years of supervised probation after admitting to shooting a bitcoin ATM with a handgun. It remains unclear whether the machine had any faults, however, he said he did it „so that it could not take money from anyone else.“ He pleaded guilty in Cole County and got five years of supervised probation instead of going to prison. Such criminals are assigned to a law enforcement officer who monitors their actions and ensures they obey court’s ruling.

The Incident

Klinger arrived at Vapor Maven on Missouri Boulevard in August last year and requested to talk to the general manager of the store (where the ATM was placed). After hanging up, he took out his handgun, fired five rounds into the machine and left the scene. He went home after this violent act, admitted everything to his wife, called police and left weapon on porch of his home.

Motive Behind The Shooting

When asked about his motives behind shooting the Bitcoin ATM, Klinger said he ravaged it “so that it could not take money from anyone else”.

5 Years Of Supervised Probation

Klinger pleaded guilty in Cole County to first-degree property damage last week and got five years of supervised probation as an alternative form of jail time which could have become prison sentence. During this time period law enforcement officer will monitor Klinger’s actions ensuring they obey court’s ruling.

Conclusion

Klinger received 5 years of supervised probation for shooting Bitcoin ATM instead of going straight into prison which highlights importance monitoring activities criminals assigned by court’s ruling even if they don’t go directly into jail due some technicalities or other factors