AUGUST 2023:
U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced (Aug. 10, 2023) a Sturgis, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Robbery.
Deric Dufek, 33, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victim Fund.
On March 14, 2022, Dufek entered Great Western Bank in Spearfish, South Dakota, wearing a mask. Dufek proceeded to go to a bank teller window and showed the teller a note reading “give me the money OR DIE” demanding money from the teller. The teller, believing the defendant had a gun, produced stacks of money to the defendant. The defendant fled Spearfish but was apprehended by law enforcement in Deadwood, South Dakota, later the same day.
This case was investigated by the Spearfish Police Department, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson prosecuted the case.
Dufek was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
MARCH 2022:
Spearfish Police say a Sturgis man has been arrested in connection with a bank robbery Monday afternoon (March 14, 2022).
Police say at approximately 1:30pm, they were called to Great Western Bank on Main Street in Spearfish for a report that a man had entered the establishment and presented a teller with a threatening note demanding money. The teller complied, and the male left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Based upon information from bank employees, witnesses and video evidence, a vehicle believed to be related to the robbery was identified. The suspect vehicle was located in Deadwood by law enforcement at approximately 2:42pm.
A subsequent investigation led to the seizure of evidence related to the robbery and the arrest of 31-year-old Deric Darren Dufek of Sturgis. He is in custody on state charges of Robbery and Grand Theft.
Authorities say the case will also be reviewed for potential federal charges.
(KBHB Radio contributed to this story.)
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