A man from Passaic County has pleaded guilty to using an explosive to damage a Chase Bank ATM in Prospect Park, New Jersey. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the admission of guilt made by Nicolas Torres, aged 42, of Passaic, New Jersey. The plea was made before U.S. District Court Judge Julien X. Neals at the federal court in Newark.
Torres faced one count of using an explosive to damage real property in interstate commerce. The incident occurred in the early hours of July 5, 2022, as documented in court files and through court statements.
Surveillance footage captured Torres igniting an object in front of the ATM, leading to an explosion followed by him fleeing with two others. A further investigation using phone location data confirmed Torres' presence at the site during the incident. It was also revealed that Torres purchased around $1,000 worth of fireworks in Pennsylvania a day before the explosion.
The charge of using an explosive for such a purpose can lead to a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 20 years, in addition to a potential fine of $250,000. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 9, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the investigation's progress to special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Newark Field Division, led by Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and the Prospect Park Police Department, led by Chief William Rausch. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s National Security Unit in Newark represents the government in this case.
The defense is represented by Adalgiza A. Núñez from the Office of the Public Defender.
