Grand River Casino, where two Nebraska men allegedly orchestrated a $350,000 theft. (Image: Courtesy of Grand River Casino, South Dakota)

Two men from Nebraska are facing federal charges in connection with the theft of more than $350,000 from the casino destination, Grand River Casino in South Dakota, according to recently unsealed court documents.

Roberto Carolos Gonzales Miranda and Roberto Orellana were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit theft from a gaming establishment on Indian Lands and transportation of stolen money, according to a report by Sioux Falls television station KELO.

Caller Convinced Casino Employee to Pay Debt in Cash

According to court documents, the theft took place in February 2024. It began with an unknown woman calling the casino and getting the number of a casino cage manager. Then, a man—which a criminal complaint alleges is Orellana—called and said he was a collections contractor for the USPS and that the casino owed $700,000 for an audit or inspection. The man claimed that additional fines would accumulate if the casino didn’t immediately pay the debt in cash.

Court documents say that the woman then received a text from a third, unknown number. The message claimed it was from the manager’s supervisor and told the manager to empty the casino vault and deposit the cash at a Bitcoin ATM located in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

The cage manager took $352,000 in cash and headed to Aberdeen. On the way, they received a call to instead meet an “alleged attorney” representing the casino in Mitchell. There, the casino employee met two individuals—described by investigators as Hispanic males—at a gas station, where the money was then turned over.

Orellana pleaded not guilty to grand theft in the amount between $100,000 and $500,000 in May. That crime is a Class 3 felony that could carry up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine. No future court dates have yet been set for either Orellana or Miranda.

Scammers Hit Casinos in String of High-Profile Thefts

The theft at Frand River Casino, which is owned and operated by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, is similar to others that have taken place across the US over the last two years.

In March 2023, a caller convinced an employee at the Monarch Casino Resort and Spa in Colorado to bring $300,000 to a supposed lawyer who was going to protect the casino from being “in breach of contract” over delivery of some equipment.

That familiar scenario also played out last July at the Four Winds Casino in Hartford, Michigan. There, a person called the casino, claiming to be the tribal chairperson of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, the tribe that owns the resort, and claimed money was needed to make an urgent payment. The thief ultimately walked away with $700,000 in funds, though a suspect was arrested earlier this year.