HARTFORD – A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man for his role in a scheme to steal $700,000 from a Hartford casino.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Michigan announced Friday, Jan 14 that Jesus Gaytan-Garcia was found guilty of transporting stolen money across state lines and theft from an Indian tribal organization
The charges stem from an incident on July 30, 2023, when someone called the Hartford Four Winds Casino and spoke with an employee there. The caller falsely claimed to be the tribal chairperson and said he needed the money to make an urgent payment. Investigators say a su-pervisor of the casino’s cash cage gathered the money and followed the caller’s instructions, de-livering the money to two people in Gary, Indiana.
Evidence led investigators to Gaytan-Garcia, who was believed to be one of those two people. They found a bundle of cash inside his home that included a paper band with the date of the robbery and the word “Hartford.”
A casino employee was initially charged with embezzlement for her role in the incident, but those charges were later dropped.
No sentencing date has been set yet for Gaytan-Garcia.
In a statement, Totten thanked the investigators with the FBI and with the Pokagon Tribal Police Department for their work in the case.
“This case underscores the need for businesses, organizations and citizens to be diligent and cautious about phone and internet scams,” Totten said.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
