Two Men Facing Charges in $352K South Dakota Casino Theft

Following allegations of stealing $352k from Grand River Casino in South Dakota, two men have been charged. 

The Men Charged With the Crime

The two men facing charges in this alleged theft are Roberto Carlos Gonzales Miranda and Roberto Orellana. They’ve been indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft from a gaming establishment on Indiana Lands, and transportation of stolen money, per SiouxLandProud.com. 

As mentioned, these charges stem from an alleged theft of $352k. 

The charges stem from an incident at the Mobridge-based casino in February. 

Details of the Case 

The incident in February started with a woman calling a manager at the casino’s cashier cage. 

From there, a man took the phone from her and said he was a collections contractor for the United States Postal Service (USPS). The man claimed the casino owed $700k, and if the money wasn’t immediately paid, more fines would be owed. 

In addition, a third person sent a text to the manager pretending to be the manager’s supervisor. According to the report, the text ordered the manager to “empty the vault and deposit the cash at a Bitcoin ATM in Aberdeen, South Dakota.”

The employee allegedly took $352k out of the vault, drove to Aberdeen with the money, and delivered it to the two men in a gas station parking lot. 

Other Recent Casino-Related Crimes

A man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested after robbing a man who won money at a gaming property just an hour before the incident. The man, Terry Brown, pulled out a firearm to rob the victim. He then stole cash, car keys, and the victim’s phone. 

This incident occurred at around 6 p.m. this past Friday, August 16.

Brown was eventually spotted by helicopter before being apprehended.