U.S. Attorney\'s Office

HARTFORD, Mich. -- In August of 2023, a high-level employee at the Four Winds Casino in Hartford received a call they believed to be from a tribal chairperson instructing them to put $700,000 in a bag for an urgent payment.  They employee loaded the money, left the casino, and dropped the money off to two men at a gas station in Gary.  

On Friday, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan announced on that a federal jury convicted one of the men that made the phone call, 45-year-old Jesus Gaytan-Garcia of Chicago, of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money, and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.

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

The evidence at trial showed that on July 30, 2023, the call came into the Hartford Four Winds Casino and a casino supervisory employee apparently misled by the caller’s fraudulent claims, took $700,000 in cash and walked out of the casino.

At the direction of the caller, the employee transported the cash across state lines to a gas station in Gary, where the employee then handed the money over to two unknown individuals.

"The evidence at trial proved that Jesus Gaytan-Garcia was one of those individuals," the U.S. Attorney said. "Gaytan-Garcia will be sentenced on a later date to be set by the court.

Investigators say that when they searched Gaytan-Garcia’s home in Chicago, they located a bundle of cash still wrapped in a paper band that was stamped with the word, “Hartford,” the location of the victimized Four Winds Casino, and the exact date of the theft, July 30, 2023.

“The cooperative efforts of the FBI and our tribal law enforcement has resulted in justice for the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians,” said Pokagon Band Chief of Police Mario RedLegs. “I am extremely proud of the professional teamwork that was put forth by those involved in the investigation."

The case was investigated by the Pokagon Band Tribal Police and the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Lane and Alexia Jansen prosecuted it.

"The conviction of Jesus Gaytan-Garcia represents a significant step toward justice and healing for the Pokagon Tribal Community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.

"Those involved in large-scale thefts will be held accountable for their actions."