Follow the Money: Cash Trail Leads Neb. Police to ATM Theft Suspect

A man used a forklift to rip apart an ATM before fleeing on foot with cash boxes that spilled bills along his escape route, according to Grand Island police.

By Jeff Bahr

Source The Grand Island Independent

June 2, 2026

2 min read

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A Grand Island man is accused of stealing an ATV, then using a construction-site forklift to rip an ATM from its base and steal more than $15,000 in cash.
Police say the suspect fled on foot with cash boxes as money spilled along his path, allowing officers to track him and make an arrest.
Authorities recovered the stolen ATV, cash, and clothing during search warrants, with ATM damage estimated at more than $50,000.

Grand Island police catch ATM theft suspect — A trail of loose bills led Grand Island police officers to a man accused of ripping an ATM from its base and making off with thousands in cash.

After stealing an ATV, police say a Grand Island man commandeered a large industrial forklift, uplifted an ATM and took off on foot with more than $15,000.

The dollar bills trailing in his path helped police arrest Cody Bane, a 32-year-old Grand Island man.

Police say Bane stole the ATV from BG&S Transmissions at 901 W. Second St., at 1:45 a.m. Saturday. Bane somehow entered the garage to steal the ATV, said Division Chief Dean Elliott of the Grand Island Police Department.

A couple of hours later, Bane drove the ATV to a Union Bank & Trust ATM at 209 E. Stolley Park Road. He took the forklift from a construction site on Stolley Park Road.

Bane then tried to steal "the entire ATM," Elliott said.

"He knocked it off its foundation, which then ripped the front of the machine apart," Elliott said. "And he was able to steal the money boxes from inside the ATM."

Bane then fled on foot, carrying money boxes containing about $15,000.

"While he was fleeing, we got an alarm that the ATM was being tampered with," Elliott said.

Officers responded. "We followed money that was being spilled out of the cash boxes as he was running," Elliott said.

In other words, "we followed some of the crumbs."

Police recovered the sandals Bane was wearing when he fled, Elliott said.

Police have video of the ATV being stolen.

In executing two search warrants at Bane's residence, they recovered cash "as well as all the clothing that he was wearing at the time he committed these crimes," Elliott said.

Damage to the ATM is estimated to be more than $50,000.

The ATV has been recovered.

Bane was arrested for theft by unlawful taking totaling more than $5,000, criminal mischief and burglary.

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