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Downtown Las Vegas’ greatest lodge was bilked out of greater than $1 million after a so-called imposter rip-off deceived an worker into believing she was delivering luggage of money to 2 males at 4 completely different areas on behalf of one of many lodge’s homeowners, police mentioned.
Circa misplaced $1.17 million within the June 17 con job that noticed any person posing as an proprietor of the lodge, in response to a Metropolitan Police Division arrest report.
Erik Gutierrez-Martinez, 23, who lives along with his aunt in an east Las Vegas trailer park, was arrested on a cost of theft of over $100,000, in response to the report.
When police arrested Gutierrez-Martinez, they discovered a big bag with slightly below $850,000 bundled collectively, with “Circa” written on the bundle, the arrest report mentioned.
Circa, which opened in 2020, is owned by brothers Derek and Greg Stevens. Whereas Greg Stevens largely stays out of the highlight, Derek Stevens is the lodge and on line casino’s CEO and its public face.
Reached by telephone Monday night, Derek Stevens mentioned he had simply posted his feedback concerning the arrest on Twitter.
“Though I really like a superb PR story, this isn’t one in every of them,” Stevens tweeted Monday night. “@CircaLasVegas is cooperating with @LVMPD on this investigation. We vastly admire their efforts thus far and can’t remark additional because of an ONGOING investigation.”
Police mentioned an identical rip-off additionally performed out regionally and in one other state. The report didn’t say the place.
“The occasion is similar to a earlier incident which occurred at one other property right here in Clark County in addition to in one other state,” police mentioned within the arrest report.
In keeping with the arrest report, a on line casino cage worker at Circa bought a name from an individual claiming to be one in every of Circa’s homeowners at 4:30 a.m. on June 17. As a result of the report supplied to the Overview-Journal was redacted, it’s not clear if the particular person was posing as Derek or Greg Stevens.
The particular person advised the worker the fireplace division would wish a cost for hearth security gadgets by Monday, which was two days away.
The worker additionally bought textual content messages, believing them to have come from her direct supervisor. She knowledgeable police that she was advised over the telephone to take $320,000 from the on line casino cage, which is a on line casino’s central cash hub, and ship it to a Horrible Herbst on Charleston Boulevard and Rancho Drive.
It’s not clear who the lady thought she was taking directions from, however she believed she was delivering the cash on behalf of Circa’s homeowners and administration, police mentioned.
She was advised to deposit the cash right into a bitcoin ATM, in response to the report, however the machine wouldn’t let her make any extra deposits after she made three $1,900 deposits.
She was then advised to carry the remaining cash, about $314,000, to a person at a Circle Ok on Valley View Boulevard at Alta Drive.
The worker was then advised to take $350,000 from the on line casino cage and to carry it to a distinct man, whom she was advised was Circa’s legal professional, at an AutoZone on Las Vegas Boulevard North at North Nellis Boulevard.
Then she was advised to carry $500,000 from the cage to the identical man she gave the $350,000 to, however this time the cash change was at an IHOP on East Craig Street, between North Nellis and North Las Vegas boulevards.
When the worker returned to Circa, safety there detained her and police have been known as. The worker was not arrested.
Metro detectives watched surveillance video from the IHOP and have been in the end capable of get a license plate quantity on a Nissan van utilized by the person who took the cash from the worker on the restaurant. This led detectives to a trailer park on Nellis, simply south of Las Vegas Boulevard, which led them to Gutierrez-Martinez.
In keeping with the report, police executed a warrant at Gutierrez-Martinez’s dwelling and found the $849,900 in money. The worker additionally recognized Gutierrez-Martinez as the person she gave the cash to on the IHOP and AutoZone, police mentioned.
Police mentioned it was nonetheless unclear to whom she gave the $314,000 on the Circle Ok on Valley View.
A preliminary listening to for Gutierrez-Martinez is ready for Aug. 24, Justice Court docket information present.
Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com.
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