Man charged with theft of $1.7 million from armored vehicle outside Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City

A Newark, N.J., man was charged in connection with the theft outside of Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City of more than $1.7 million from an armored vehicle owned by a company he once worked for, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said Tuesday.

Dante J. McCluney was charged with burglary and related offenses for the Nov. 5 afternoon heist.

Video surveillance from Bally’s revealed three men entered the armored vehicle from Rapid Armored Corporation (RAC) and removed suspected bags of cash. The suspects then fled in a gray Hyundai sedan.

Tyner said McCluney was previously employed as an armed guard for RAC, had worked the route that serviced Bally’s and became familiar with the run’s timing and procedures.

Two employees of RAC also identified McCluney from boardwalk surveillance footage from that afternoon, Tyner said.

The investigation is ongoing. McCluney was being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

”This was a brazen burglary of an armored car on a public street in broad daylight. Out of all the crimes I’ve seen committed in Atlantic County during my tenure, this incident harkened back to something out of the 1930′s,” Tyner said in a statement.

Tyner’s statement said “a substantial amount of the stolen cash has been recovered” but did not elaborate.