Tacoma, Washington – A desperate attempt to break into a Tumwater credit union ended in a 66-month prison sentence for Randall Taufete’e, a 34-year-old trained welder who used an oxyacetylene torch to try and steal from an ATM.
On October 24, 2022, Tumwater firefighters responded to a fire alarm at O Bee Credit Union, where they observed flames coming from the top of the ATM machine. The flames were extinguished, but smoke had filled the building.
Following the fire, investigators found char and pry marks on the ATM machine, the night deposit box, the drive-through window, and an exterior door. Surveillance video showed two men using a pry bar, an electric saw, and an oxyacetylene welder’s torch to try and open the ATM and gain access to the building.
The larceny attempt and arson resulted in $198,018 in damage to the building. Taufete’e was identified as one of the men in the surveillance video, but he initially denied being involved.
Taufete’e and codefendant Brandon Ronald Collado were indicted in January 2023. Collado pleaded guilty in June 2023 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Taufete’e pleaded guilty in March 2024.
In asking for a 92-month sentence, prosecutors noted that Taufete’e has more than a dozen criminal convictions as an adult, including theft, assault, robbery, burglary, and firearms possession.
Taufete’e will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term and will be required to pay $198,018 in restitution for the damage to the credit union. The case was investigated by the Tumwater Police Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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