Published on: August 15, 2025, at 03:49h.

Updated on: August 16, 2025, at 12:33h.

• Two individuals were apprehended at an Arizona casino while spending the cash they had just stolen from a local bank.
• Michael Dino Peraino, aged 63, and Tyler Michael Thayer, aged 31, were arrested by law enforcement on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft before being handed over to the FBI.
• The duo is currently held at the Central Arizona Correctional Facility, awaiting arraignment on September 5th.

What would be your first stop after robbing a bank? For Michael Dino Peraino and Tyler Michael Thayer, the answer is a tribal casino located 61 miles away, where they were subsequently arrested on-site, according to the San Carlos police.

On Wednesday, a federal grand jury charged the men in relation to the July 10 robbery of a Chase Bank in Safford, Arizona, as indicated by court records.

According to investigators, Thayer dropped Peraino off at the bank entrance, where he handed a note to a teller demanding $10,000 and claimed to be armed. The teller complied with his demand.

After escaping the scene, the duo reportedly stopped in a Walmart parking lot, where they wrapped the stolen cash in foil and concealed it in their vehicle. Their next destination was the Apache Gold Casino Resort situated on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Their Fortune Was Short-Lived

Later that day, police from San Carlos, in collaboration with the FBI, recognized the suspects’ minivan at the casino. A search warrant revealed $2,000 in cash within the vehicle, along with a torn piece of paper matching the demand note from the robbery.

Working together with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, law enforcement apprehended Peraino and Thayer on the casino floor. Additional cash was discovered hidden in their clothing and within a rented room at the adjoining Best Western hotel.

The two men were booked at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft before being moved into FBI custody. They are currently held at the Central Arizona Correctional Facility located in Florence, Arizona.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking $10,267.06 in restitution, which includes any cash that was spent, hidden, or distributed. Notably, FBI reports indicate that Thayer has already admitted to participating in the robbery.

Both individuals are scheduled for arraignment on September 5 in US Magistrate Court in Tucson.