Chicago man is charged with posing as tribal leader to scam Four Winds Casino out of $700,000: 'The amount of money stolen is extraordinary'

The FBI has arrested a man accused of brazenly posing as a trial leader on the phone to steal $700,000 from a casino in Michigan.

Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 43, was arrested this week in the heist last summer at the Hartford Four Winds Casino, which is owned and operated by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

Prosecutors say a search of Gaytan-Garcia's Chicago home turned up a bundle of $100 bills stamped with the word 'Hartford' and the exact date of the theft: July 30, 2023. 

'The amount of money involved in this theft is extraordinary,' said Mark Totten, the US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

'Unfortunately, instances of telephone scams at casinos are on the rise across the country, impacting both tribal and commercial gaming operations,' he added. 

Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 43, was arrested this week in the heist last summer at the Hartford Four Winds Casino (above), which is owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians

Prosecutors say a search of Gaytan-Garcia's Chicago home turned up this bundle of cash stamped with the word 'Hartford' and the exact date of the theft: July 30, 2023

Gaytan-Garcia's attorney Patrick Boyle declined to comment on the charges when reached by DailyMail.com on Friday.

According to the complaint, workers at the Hartford Four Winds Casino received a phone call last July from a person falsely claiming he was the tribal chairperson.

The scammer asked to speak with the cage manager and claimed the tribe desperately needed cash to make an urgent payment.

As the phone call was ongoing, the cage manager also received text messages from a person posing as a casino boss who was out of town, urging the cage manager to follow the caller's instructions. 

Tricked by the twin-pronged scam, the cage manager gathered up $700,000 in cash, putting it into a large Michael Kors handbag, and left the casino.

The casino worker remained on the phone with the scammer for more than an hour, following detailed instructions to bring the money to a gas station in Gary, Indiana.

At the gas station, the casino worker handed over the cash to two unknown individuals in a black Chrysler Pacifica, according to the complaint.

Investigators subsequently linked Gaytan-Garcia to the case through a search of automated license plate scanners in the area, which turned up a black Chrysler Pacifica registered to his wife. 

Subsequent search warrants also produced cell phone and geolocation data linking Gaytan-Garcia to the location of the location of the cash handoff.

Pokagon Tribal Police Chief Mario RedLegs (above) said cooperation between tribal police and the FBI led to the arrest and charges

Last month, the FBI, accompanied by Pokagon Tribal Police detectives, executed a search warrant on Gaytan-Garcia's home and turned up the bundle of cash, marked with the location and date of the casino heist. 

'The arrest of Mr. Gaytan-Garcia demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration between the Pokagon Tribal Police and the FBI,' said Pokagon Tribal Police Chief Mario RedLegs. 

'We greatly appreciate the support and assistance of US Attorney Mark Totten and his staff to prosecute those that violate the law on Pokagon Band land.'

Gaytan-Garcia was released from custody following a detention hearing in Chicago on Thursday.

He will have to appear in federal court in Michigan to face the charge of theft from an Indian tribal organization.