Bulk Vending Thief Is Nabbed In Nebraska

OMAHA, NE -- The police departments of Omaha and Council Bluffs reported that a suspect connected to a string of bulk vending machine robberies is in custody. Police officials said Matthew Hartfield, 33, a resident of Council Bluffs, was arrested in connection to two vending machine thefts in Council Bluffs and a dozen more in nearby Omaha.

The one-man crime spree, according to local news, may have involved more than 30 vending machines over a two-month period. Machines were stolen from a wide range of locations that included banks, check-cashing establishments, restaurants and grocery stores.

If found guilty, Hartfield faces up to six years in jail and $12,000 in fines.