Bismarck Man Sentenced for Bank Larceny

BISMARCK—U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Dec. 12, 2011, Michael J. Link, 24, of Bismarck, N.D., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of bank larceny. Link pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 13, 2011.

Judge Hovland sentenced Link to two years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Link was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund and to pay $346,698.31 in restitution jointly and severally with the co-defendants.

Link was employed by Alpha 6, Inc., which provided armored car services to transport money for U.S. Bank in Bismarck, N.D. Some time prior to Feb. 23, 2010, Link, Matthew Fiechtner, and NathanTuenge contrived a plan to steal money from an Alpha 6 van that was transporting money for U.S. Bank. On Feb. 23, 2010, Link picked up money from the U.S. Bank north branch in Bismarck. The money was to be taken to the U.S. Bank downtown location. Before going to the downtown location, the van was taken to the U.S. Bank Arrowhead location. Tuenge and Fiechtner were waiting in the parking lot and when Link and another 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 Oct. 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.

Co-defendant Matthew Fiechtner, 20, Bismarck, pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2010, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank larceny. On Oct. 17, 2011, Judge Hovland sentenced Fiechtner to three years of probation, which included 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.

Co-defendant Nathan Tuenge, 27, Mandan, pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2010, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank larceny. On Oct. 17, 2011, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.