EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A federal grand jury has indicted two men in connection with the July 10 robbery of Chase Bank in Safford, Arizona.
Michael Dino Peraino and Tyler Michael Thayer are scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 5 in U.S. Magistrate Court in Tucson on charges of conspiracy and bank robbery. The government also is trying to recover money that may be missing from the heist.
Investigators allege Peraino and Thayer drove a maroon 2010 Chevrolet Town and Country minivan to a Dollar General to purchase glasses and eyeliner so Peraino could alter his appearance before going into Chase Bank. The pair also stopped at Safeway to buy foil paper.
After Tayer, 31, dropped him off in front of the bank, Peraino walked up to a teller and allegedly gave her a note with instructions to give him $10,000 cash. When the teller tried to ask questions Peraino, 63, told her not to look at him and stated he had a gun, court documents show.
The teller handed the man cash that included 60 $100 bills.
The robbers drove away, stopped at a Walmart parking lot to wrap the cash in foil and stash it in the vehicle, including in the engine compartment. They then drove 61 miles to the Apache Gold Casino and Resort in San Carlos, Arizona.
Court records show San Carlos Police Department officers located the minivan at the casino later in the day. Working with the FBI, they secured a search warrant, found $2,000 in foil inside the vehicle as well as a piece of paper torn to pieces that appeared to be the note handed to the bank teller earlier in the day.
The officers found Thayer and Peraino on the floor of the casino and took them into custody. Both allegedly had bulk cash in their clothing; additional cash was found inside a hotel room at the casino.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI, Thayer gave a detailed account to investigators about preparing and executing the robbery.
There’s no record that Peraino said anything to the agents.
Wednesday’s indictment shows the U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking forfeiture of $10,267.06 from the men and wants to make them liable for any of that amount they may have spent, hid or given out to other people.
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