St. Cloud Man Indicted for Robbing TCF Bank

A 23-year-old St. Cloud man has been indicted in federal court for allegedly robbing a St. Cloud TCF bank on May 5, 2010. The indictment, filed earlier today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, charges Salamo Nam Rakotojoelinandrasana with one count of bank robbery.

The indictment alleges Rakotojoelinandrasana stole $6,000 from the bank. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a man, later identified as Rakotojoelinandrasana, entered the bank after 6:30 p.m. He allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded money. After receiving cash, along with a concealed dye pack, the robber exited through the bank’s rear door. On May 10, 2010, Rakotojoelinandrasana was arrested after he was reportedly observed inserting dye-stained money into slot machines at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake. While executing a search warrant at Rakotojoelinandrasana’s residence, officers found clothing identical to that worn by the robber. They also found $2,304 in dye-stained cash, and in his vehicle, they recovered an air pistol.

If convicted, Rakotojoelinandrasana faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the St. Cloud Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Prior Lake Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tricia A. Tingle.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.