BATON ROUGE — Three defendants who previously pleaded guilty were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank burglary and bank theft, according to the Department of Justice. 

The department said local law enforcement was notified of numerous attempted and successful burglaries of ATMs in the Baton Rouge area that had similar characteristics, including the use of stolen vehicles and tow straps to pull open ATM doors or completely remove them from their concrete base. 

Deantae Mason, 26, Alex Mata, 23, and Brandon Griffin, 26, scouted banks for potential ATM thefts, surveilled nearby areas for large trucks to steal and served as lookouts while other members committed the ATM burglaries, according to admissions made as part of their guilty plea. 

The Department of Justice noted that an ATM at a Pelican State Credit Union branch on North Lobdell Boulevard was ripped from its concrete base before about $106,120 was taken from the bank. An ATM at a Neighbors Federal Credit Union on Howell Boulevard was also burglarized, with $179,000 being taken.

Mason, who was sentenced to 24 months, and Mata, who was sentenced to 22 months, were both ordered to pay $285,120 in restitution and forfeit $95,039 each. 

Griffin, who was sentenced to 12 months and a day, was ordered to pay $106,120 in restitution and forfeit $35,373.

All three will also serve three years of supervised release.