Casino Crime Roundup: New Details Revealed About $352K Theft at Grand River Casino

Posted on: August 19, 2024, 02:47h. 

Last updated on: August 19, 2024, 03:20h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Two men are currently facing charges after they allegedly stole $352K from a tribal gaming property in South Dakota earlier this year.

Roberto Carlos Gonzales Miranda and Roberto Orellana recently were indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft from a gaming establishment on Indian Lands, and transportation of stolen money, according to South Dakota TV station KELO.

The pair undertook a scheme at the Grand River Casino located in Mobridge, SD, in February.

The plot began when a woman telephoned a manager of the casino’s cashiers’ cage.

A man then got on the phone and said he was a collections contractor for the United States Postal Service. He claimed the casino owed $700K and that if the money wasn’t paid immediately, there would be more fees or fines owed, the report said.

Meanwhile, a third suspect claiming to be the manager’s supervisor sent the manager a text message ordering him to “empty the vault and deposit the cash at a Bitcoin ATM in Aberdeen, South Dakota,” according to KELO.

The casino employee scooped up $352K from the vault and got into a vehicle with the money. The person then drove to Aberdeen where he was instructed to deliver the money to two individuals in a gas station parking lot.

The casino is owned and operated by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Casino Jackpot Winner Robbed, Suspect Nabbed

A man was arrested in Tulsa, Okla. following Friday’s holdup of a man who, hours earlier, won money at a gaming property.

The suspect, Terry Brown, was charged with armed robbery with a firearm after being a convicted felon.

The incident began when Brown allegedly pulled out a firearm and robbed the victim. He stole an undisclosed amount of cash won at the unnamed gaming property, as well as car keys and a phone, according to Tulsa TV station KTUL.

The holdup took place at about 6 p.m. Friday at a residence located near 44th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

A second suspect accompanied Brown when he robbed the victim, police said. He’s still believed to be at large.

The two suspects were videotaped by a security camera, the report said.

The victim’s sister-in-law reported the robbery to the Tulsa Police Department (TPD) and gave police a description of the getaway vehicle and the suspects.

A short time later, a vehicle matching the description was spotted by a TPD helicopter and stopped by officers on North Quaker Avenue. Terry Brown, an occupant in the vehicle, matched a description given of the robbery suspect, police said.

Brown was booked for the crime and his case was turned over to local prosecutors.