Chicago Man Convicted At Trial For Role In $700,000 Michigan Casino Heist

Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 1:35 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

GRAND RAPIDS, MI.- U.S. Attorney Mark Totten reported on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, that a federal jury for the Western District of Michigan found Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 45, of Chicago, Illinois, guilty of one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money and one count of Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization in connection for his role in the July 2023 casino theft scheme.

     According to the evidence presented at trial, on July 30, 2023, a call came into the Hartford Four Winds Casino, during which the caller represented that he was a tribal chairperson and stated that he needed funds to make an urgent payment. Apparently misled by the caller’s false claims, a casino supervisor took $700,000 in cash and walked out of the casino.

     At the caller’s direction, the employee transported the cash across state lines to a gas station in Gary, Indiana, where the employee handed the money over to two unknown individuals. During the trial, evidence proved that Gaytan-Garcia was one of those individuals.

     After being identified, investigators searched Gaytan-Garcia’s Chicago, Illinois, home. There, they found a bundle of cash still wrapped in a paper band stamped with the word “Hartford,” the location of the casino, and the exact date of the theft: July 30, 2023.

     “This case underscores the need for businesses, organizations, and citizens to be diligent and cautious about phone and internet scams,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Thanks to the persistent and dedicated investigators at the Pokagon Tribal Police Department and the FBI, Mr. Gaytan-Garcia was identified as one of the perpetrators of this theft scam and is being held accountable for this bold crime.”