Out-of-State Man Scams West Michigan Casino Out of $700K

A Chicago man is facing numerous federal charges after allegedly duping an employee and bilking a West Michigan casino out of $700,000 in cash.

After a nearly seven-month investigation, police and federal investigators arrested Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, saying he stole the money from the Four Winds Casino in Hartford, Michigan.

Hartford is located near Benton Harbor, about 50 miles north of the Indiana state line.

The Scam

According to an FBI report, an employee at the Four Winds Casino received a call from a man claiming to be her boss. The woman, who worked as a cash cage manager, also received text messages to support the phone call, with the man saying he needed her help to make an urgent payment.

The woman believed that she had indeed been conversing with a supervisor and followed his instructions. According to WOOD-TV, the employee was observed on the casino's surveillance system placing seven bundles of money into a large handbag.

She then walked out of the casino, driving toward Gary, Indiana, as instructed. She met two men at a gas station and gave them the money.

After the men drove away, she phoned her supervisor - the one she believed she had just met - and told him where she was. It was then that she realized she had been tricked. Police arrived shortly thereafter to arrest the woman. She was initially charged with the theft but those charges were eventually dropped.

Man Arrested in Chicago

After a months-long investigation, FBI agents searched Gaytan-Garcia's Chicago home and found a bundle of $100 bills in a safe. The bills were wrapped in a paper band with the "Hartford" stamped on it, along with the date of the theft.

His daughter and estranged wife both confirm that Gaytan-Garcia seemed to have a lot of money at his disposal after the July 2023 heist.