Two Men Sentenced for Theft from Armored Car Service

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota
October 19, 2011

BISMARCK—United States Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on October 17, 2011, Matthew L. Fiechtner, 20, of Bismarck, North Dakota, and Nathan D. Tuenge, 26, of Mandan, North Dakota, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland. Each defendant pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank larceny on December 14, 2010.

Judge Hovland sentenced Fiechtner to three years of probation, which will include up to one year at Centre, Inc., a halfway house in Mandan. Fiechtner was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

Judge Hovland sentenced Tuenge to serve one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tuenge was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

Michael J. Link, 23, of Bismarck, was employed by Alpha 6, Inc., which provided armored car services to transport money for U.S. Bank in Bismarck, North Dakota. Some time prior to February 23, 2010, Link, Fiechtner, and Tuenge developed a plan to steal money from an Alpha 6 van that was transporting money for U.S. Bank.

On February 23, 2010, Link and another Alpha 6 employee, who was not involved in the theft, picked up money from the U.S. Bank north branch at 3318 North 14th Street in Bismarck. The money was to be taken to the U.S. Bank downtown location at 200 North 3rd Street. Before going to the downtown location, the van was taken to the U.S. Bank Arrowhead location at 1144 North 3rd Street. Tuenge and Fiechtner were waiting in the parking lot and when both Link and the other Alpha 6 employee went into the bank, Tuenge took cash from the Alpha 6 van by opening the back door of the van with a key that had been provided by Link. The remaining money from the van was taken to the downtown location by Link, and shortly after it was delivered, bank officials discovered that the north branch money was missing.

In October 2010, law enforcement officials received information about who was involved in the theft, which led to the charges being filed against Link, Tuenge, and Fiechtner.

Link pled guilty to a charge of bank larceny on September 13, 2011. Sentencing for Link has been scheduled for December 12, 2011, in United States District Court in Bismarck, North Dakota, at 11:00 a.m. The issue of restitution for all three defendants is expected to be determined by Judge Hovland upon Link’s sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bismarck Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney David Hagler is prosecuting the case.