Passaic Man Used Explosive Device on ATM in Prospect Park

Nicolas Torres admitted to damaging a Chase Bank ATM with an explosive in 2022; surveillance and phone data linked him to the scene.

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Passaic County resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to using an explosive device to damage a Chase Bank ATM in Prospect Park, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Nicolas Torres, 42, of Passaic, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark to one count of using an explosive to damage real property used in interstate commerce. The incident occurred during the early hours of July 5, 2022.

According to court filings and statements made during the plea hearing, Torres was captured on surveillance video igniting an object in front of the ATM moments before a visible explosion. He was then seen fleeing the location alongside two unidentified individuals. Investigators used cell phone location data to place Torres at the scene at the time of the explosion. Further inquiry revealed that he had purchased approximately $1,000 worth of fireworks in Pennsylvania the day prior.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of twenty years, in addition to a potential fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Newark Field Division and the Prospect Park Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.