Published on: September 27, 2025, 10:11h.
Updated on: September 27, 2025, 10:11h.
- Man detonated ATM, stole $90,000, gambled at Harrah’s
- FBI operation discovered eight more homemade explosives
- Find of human remains prompted renewed investigation at suspect’s residence
A resident of Decatur, Georgia, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for using a homemade explosive device to blow open an ATM at a mall, making off with $90,000.
Abdurrahim Jalal, aged 55, targeted the Bank of America ATM located in North DeKalb Mall around 3:11 a.m. on March 29, 2023. Following the heist, he engaged in an extended gambling session at a casino in North Carolina, as reported by federal authorities.
Jalal, who works as a landscaper, was convicted in June on charges including bank theft, use of explosives in a crime, arson, and two counts of possessing unregistered explosive devices.
The Events of the ATM Explosion
Upon examining surveillance footage, authorities noted a man donning a hooded sweatshirt, face mask, and distinctive rectangular glasses approaching the ATM. He initially appeared to spray something at the surveillance camera before vanishing from the frame.
Reappearing shortly thereafter in a black Lincoln SUV, he exited the vehicle with what appeared to be a pry bar, creating an opening in the ATM.
He then inserted two blue hoses from the vehicle into the ATM, believed to carry an accelerant, and affixed a metal pipe to the machine’s exterior before fleeing the scene, according to court documentation.
Moments later, footage from the bank ceased, indicating when the device was likely detonated.
Using surveillance from neighboring establishments, investigators captured the SUV’s license plate, which had been reported stolen from a different vehicle.
However, expanding their timeframe revealed another identical SUV in nearby footage, this one equipped with a plate registered to Jalal. Following an FBI raid of his residence, authorities unearthed eight additional homemade pipe bombs, leading them to suspect further robbery plans.
Gambling Winnings from the Stolen $90K
Post-robbery, Jalal frequented Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino, located about 2½ hours away in Murphy, North Carolina, where he exchanged large amounts of $20 bills for casino chips. While this behavior suggests potential money laundering, no charges for money laundering were filed against him, according to court records.
Discovery of Human Remains
Adding a final twist, Atlanta News First reported that after Jalal’s capture, law enforcement was contacted by an attorney representing a young man who had found human remains on his father’s property in Duluth, situated 35 miles northeast of Decatur.
The remains were later identified as belonging to a woman, although her identity and the details surrounding her death remain undisclosed. This new development prompted a subsequent search of Jalal’s home, but authorities have yet to clarify any connection, and Jalal faces no charges related to this case.