Fergus Falls Man Indicted for Stealing from ATMs in West-Central Minnesota, North Dakota

MINNEAPOLIS—Recently in federal court, a 21-year-old Fergus Falls man was indicted with stealing money from automated teller machines (ATMs) in numerous locations in west-central Minnesota and in Wahpeton, North Dakota, between March 2005 and March 2012. On July 16, 2013, Christopher James Diestler was charged with one count of bank larceny. Diestler was arrested on July 17, 2013, and made his initial appearance yesterday in federal court.

The indictment alleges that from March 2005 through March 15, 2012, Diestler stole approximately $182,350 from Bremer Bank ATMs in Alexandria, Breckenridge, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, and Morris in Minnesota and in Wahpeton, North Dakota; a Wells Fargo ATM in Alexandria; and a U.S. Bank ATM in Fergus Falls. The thefts were committed while Diestler was carrying out his duties as an armored truck driver.

If convicted, Diestler faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, the Fergus Falls Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.

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.