Utah Fake-Bomb Robbery Suspect Says He Was Told to Rob a Bank Over a $19,000 Casino Loss

A Utah man accused of robbing a credit union with a fake bomb told investigators he had been threatened over a $19,000 casino loss and ordered to rob a bank to repay it, according to court documents reported by KSL.

Fidel Ybarra is one of three Utah residents charged in federal court over the September 4, 2026, robbery of an America First Credit Union in South Salt Lake. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah announced the indictment on October 1, 2026.

The three defendants:

• Fidel Ybarra, 52, of Riverdale, the man prosecutors say walked into the credit union
• Thomas Domingo Bustos, 31, of Layton, whom prosecutors accuse of planning the robbery
• Brelyn Sanchez, 37, of Ogden, whom prosecutors identify as the driver

The DOJ release lists a credit union robbery charge against all three. KSL reports that the indictment also includes a count of false information or hoaxes.

A note, a backpack and $1,234

According to prosecutors, Ybarra walked in carrying a backpack and handed the teller a note that demanded cash and claimed he had an explosive device. He then opened the backpack to show what appeared to be an improvised explosive device. The teller handed over $1,234.

Ybarra left in a red Dodge Durango driven by Sanchez, prosecutors said. Investigators linked a second vehicle, a red BMW, to the robbery, and both vehicles were registered to Bustos.

Prosecutors allege that Bustos planned the robbery, made the hoax device from fireworks and duct tape, and drafted the demand note. They also allege that he took the money afterward.

The debt Ybarra describes

Ybarra gave his explanation after his arrest. Gambling losses have featured in other recent cases, including a West Virginia clinic manager who admitted stealing $624,600 and said he lost it all to gambling. He told investigators that Bustos had been holding him responsible for a $19,000 loss at a Wendover casino, the charges say, according to KSL.

In Ybarra’s account, Bustos threatened him and his family if he did not repay the money. On the morning of the robbery, Ybarra said, Bustos picked him up and told him he was going to rob a bank to pay back what he owed.

Casino.org, citing the case affidavit, placed the casino in West Wendover, Nevada, just across the Utah border. Neither report names the casino or suggests it played any role in the alleged threats. In a separate Indiana case, prosecutors say a man known as Jimmy the Greek sent a gambler a church video wishing his family dead. The alleged threats are part of Ybarra’s account to investigators, not an established court finding.

The driver tells it differently

Sanchez, Bustos’s cousin, admitted driving the Durango and dropping Ybarra off near the credit union but said she did not know the exact plan, according to the charges reported by KSL.

She understood that Ybarra was going to collect money from a woman who owed him, though she knew they were involved in criminal activity, the charges said. She also told authorities that Ybarra had mentioned owing Bustos $9,000 before the robbery, not the $19,000 in his account, the Standard-Examiner reported, citing the federal complaint.

Three not-guilty pleas

All three defendants pleaded not guilty on October 2, 2026, Casino.org reported. In its report updated October 5, the outlet said all three were in federal custody pending trial.

An indictment is a formal charge, not a finding of guilt. All three defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Featured image: A bank teller window. Illustrative image; not the credit union involved. Photo: Cbaile19 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)