Houston man pleads guilty to burglarizing ATM in Hardin County

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Houston, Texas, man pleaded guilty Thursday to burglarizing a Hardin County bank’s ATM and stealing over $48,000.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, 26-year-old Jesse Kayembe of Houston, Texas and others working with him stole a truck in Elizabethtown.

Kayembe allegedly drove the stolen truck to WesBanco Bank in Elizabethtown, hooked it to the ATM and drove forward, ripping the ATM door and vault open.

Kayembe and another individual then took the cash drawers from the ATM, resulting in a loss to the bank of over $48,000, officials say.

According to officials, Kayembe pleaded guilty to one count of bank larceny, according to officials. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.

The investigation is ongoing.