A DeKalb County man has been found guilty on multiple charges, including bank theft and the use of an explosive to commit a felony, after using a pipe bomb to blow up an ATM machine in 2023. Abdurrahim Jalal, 54, now faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 60 years of imprisonment, with sentencing set for September 22, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to the details disclosed by U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, on March 29, 2023, Jalal detonated a pipe bomb, which successfully accessed approximately $88,000 from the breached ATM in Decatur, Georgia. Following the investigation by federal, state, and local authorities, Jalal was captured and prosecutors presented evidence of additional illegal explosives found at his residence. “Criminals who use dangerous explosives to commit crimes will face federal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” said Hertzberg, in a sentiment echoed by officials from the FBI and ATF regarding the serious measures taken against such threats to public safety, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
FBI and ATF agents, along with DeKalb County’s police and fire departments, were pivotal in the investigation leading to Jalal’s conviction. “The use of explosives in criminal activities poses an immense threat to public safety, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure that those who engage in such acts are brought to justice,” stated ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, in the aftermath of the conviction, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office…