Stolen vehicles, ‘Jaws of Life' tools linked to $1M theft ring, Seattle police say
Seattle police, working with federal and local agencies, arrested a 30-year-old Auburn man for allegedly leading a sophisticated burglary ring that stole more than $1 million and caused over $500,000 in property damage.
Scott Marcus Rhodes was arrested Feb. 19 at a home in Edgewood following a multi-agency investigation involving the Seattle Police Department (SPD), King County Sheriff's Office, FBI, Kent Police Department, Department of Corrections, U.S. Attorney's Office, and Washington Attorney General's Office.
Rhodes faces 10 felony charges in King County Superior Court, including three counts of first-degree theft, three counts of first-degree malicious mischief, two counts of second-degree burglary, and two counts of possession of burglary tools.
Prosecutors allege that Rhodes and his crew targeted ATMs and safes using stolen vehicles, construction equipment, and even the 'Jaws of Life'—a hydraulic rescue tool typically used by firefighters.
According to charging documents, the burglaries spanned from October 2024 to January 2025 and showed a high level of planning.
Surveillance footage captured Rhodes and other suspects dragging ATMs into vans, using fire rescue tools to open them, and even stealing an excavator to crash into a BECU bank.
On Oct. 9, 2024, Rhodes and two accomplices allegedly stole an ATM containing more than $322,000 from a Wells Fargo branch on West McGraw Street. The theft caused more than $79,000 in damages.
Later, on Dec. 26, 2024, Rhodes and another suspect reportedly broke into a Wells Fargo branch on Greenwood Avenue North, stealing nearly $195,000 after prying open and burning an ATM with a torch. The cost of replacing the ATM is estimated at $76,524.
In the final known heist on Jan. 27, Rhodes and other suspects allegedly stole a construction excavator from a nearby site and drove it through the front of a BECU bank on Stone Way North. They made off with an ATM containing $101,000, leaving behind another damaged machine. The total damage to the bank's structure is estimated at $375,000.
In total, the burglary ring is believed to have stolen $1,027,262, mostly in cash, and caused at least $506,709 in property damage.
Prosecutors requested bail be set at $2 million, citing Rhodes' access to large sums of cash and pending criminal charges in Oregon.
However, the court set bail at $250,000. Rhodes remains in custody at King County Correctional Facility.
If released, prosecutors have requested that Rhodes be placed on electronic home detention with GPS monitoring.
The court has also ordered Rhodes to have no contact with BECU, Wells Fargo, or his alleged accomplices.
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