While bank robberies are considered a Federal crime in the United States, stealing from automated teller machines, or ATMs, is not always punished as such.

Since 1934, the says it has been a Federal crime to rob any national bank or state member bank of the Federal Reserve System.

Though the law soon expanded to include bank burglary, larceny and similar crimes, with jurisdiction delegated to the FBI, the says robberies involving ATMs can vary depending on the circumstance.

The DOJ says if a bank customer is robbed shortly after making withdrawals from ATMs, the Federal bank robbery statute would not apply, because at the time of the robbery, the money belongs to and is in the possession of the customer.

However, if someone were to steal directly from an ATM, or if a bank customer were

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