LAS VEGAS (AP/The Blaze) — Las Vegas police are looking for an armed casino bandit who escaped on a motorcycle with perhaps $2 million worth of gambling chips from the posh Bellagio hotel-casino.
“The suspect, wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet, entered the casino and went directly to a craps table. He pulled a gun, told everyone not to move and took approximately $1.5 million worth of casino chips,” according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department news release.
Police Lt. Clinton Nichols told The Associated Press the robbery happened quickly. “In most events, we actively pursue those folks that commit those robberies and do a fairly decent job apprehending them, and hopefully this will hold true,” Nichols told the Las Vegas Sun.
Police say the biker may also be responsible for similar robbery of a Las Vegas Suncoast Casino poker room cashier on Dec. 9.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, weighing about 220 pounds. He was wearing a white motorcycle helmet, black down jacket, black pants and black gloves. The motorcycle is described as a 2009-2010 black sport bike.
After the 3 a.m. robbery, the suspect reportedly then sped away on Flamingo Road on a black sport-style motorcycle.
Detectives are reviewing video and camera images of the robbery that occurred just before 4 a.m. Tuesday at the Las Vegas Strip resort.
Fortunately, no shots were fired and no one was injured.
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BlkandPrepper
Posted on December 16, 2010 at 6:55pmWTF? wow can anyone be any dumber? wait maybe the guys he’s gonna pawn em off to at 1/2 price to the try to go cash em in at the casino are just a lil bit dumber right? THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM
Report Post »inferno
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 7:06pmHe had better hope the police get him first. Nevada has lots and lots of desert in which to dig a shallow grave that would never be found. I‘m sure word would find it’s way to the street as too what happened to him.
Report Post »woodyb
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 11:59amThis guy was just looking for a star position on Tru-TV “Dumber and Dumbets” segment!!!!!!
Report Post »sjohn70037
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 11:33amKarma?
Report Post »Gun_Slinger
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 9:21amIt was OK because no one got hurt… He just wanted the money… What a load of crap. 1.5 million was taken away, someone got hurt.
Report Post »moonpeace
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 8:55amChips are as good as cash. Anybody walking in off the street with a chip can cash it in. They aren’t like checkers. So it would be easy to sell a $1000 chip to soebody for say $500, and they cash it in for the $1000. A better way to do it would be justto gamble with the chip on some small bets and then cash out later on. I know this because I used to steal chips in Atlantic City.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:09pmI’ve a soft spot for rogues that do something unique. He won’t be able to launder his ill gotten gains, but he did do something nobody else did, that takes ingenuity.
Yes yes, I’m a sucker for Dillenger also, sorry.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:00pmSecond to that, it‘s highly suspicious that the ’clerk’ that gave them is a partner in this.. It’s the ballagio for crying out loud. They don’t just leave millions of dollars in chips laying around for anyone to just push over the counter with no security.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 10:56pmI thought these casino chips have microchips in them these days.. They should no exactly when and where these re-appear. They are less than worthless….. They are like a prison sentence ready to spring on this guy..
Report Post »eteme
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:54pmWow! pretty strange how the pic. are from a back room. Not the standard craps table. Why does this sound like a load of crap soft served…
Report Post »chips1
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:52pmHe just has to sell them to Obama. The only person that doesn’t have to prove where he got them or answer any questions.
Report Post »freddyt
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:27pmgood for him ! all you need is a waitress or bell hop. they can cash the chips at any casino. 50 different employees at 30 different joints. they take thier tips to the cage and tip the cage cashier, no queations asked
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:18pmWhat flavor were those chips, barbeque? Did he take any dip also?
Report Post »JohnnyJT
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:47pmWhere was security? This would of never happened at the Montecito Casino in Las Vagas.
Report Post »Ed would of personally kicked that sucker in the butt.
CatB
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:51pmYes .. James Caan would not let this go unanswered … and even at the Bellagio you would think a guy in a full motorcycle helmet would be considered suspicious. I have never seen anyone dressed like that in the Bellagio. Not exactly “blending in”.
Report Post »CaptGregg
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:36pmI expect to see Bellagio rapidly change their chips in order to render the stolen ones worthless. They should able to do that in just a matter of two or three days.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:35pmThis is brazen. There’s cameras everywhere.
Report Post »N37BU6
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:16pmThis part was the quick part… now for countless nights of slowly unloading them until he gets caught.
If he’s smart, he’ll sell them for 50% value to other people. Spread it out rather than putting the heat on himself night after night.
Report Post »Harvey
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:15pmThose chips are for Harry Reids next Campaign.
Report Post »guyperram
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:46pmNa, he simply steals from the taxpayer, and has the unions take care of elections for him.
Report Post »anigmanm
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:50pmthe suspect was heard saying Harry said it was okay to take what others have earned because I am not here legally
Report Post »alcarfl
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:47pmIn Vegas, other casino chips are usually honored if played in small quantities at a table in a competitor house. There is also a viable, fee based, secure, enterprise that returns these rogue chips to the appropriate casinos. If the perp had a connection, he could enter into that universe to swap for non-Bellagio chips or just change his garb and go to the Bellagio as a player and make the rounds, cage to cage, cashing in the house chips. The perp must have had a pretty big bag to carry out that amount of chips and ride away on a crotch rocket. I also can’t imagine the “house” having that amout of “live” (non-marker) chips on hand at 3 AM at one table. Hmmmmmmmm. SECURITY!
Report Post »Workforit
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 6:17pmAgreed, can you say “Insurance scam”? Sure I knew you could… He could also go back in and play if he has the stones, If he was a skinny guy dressed up like the Michelin Tire Man he could pull it off.
Report Post »Nigel2
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:32pm1.5 million? I wonder how much it costs to issue new chips?? Or if they would if they could.
Report Post »Xyskalla
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 12:59amI‘d be surprised if the casino didn’t already have locked away a supply of chips with a different design for just such an occasion.
Report Post »EPROM
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:32pmHmmmm? …..Doesn’t George Clooney ride a motercycle?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:44pmrofL
Report Post »coasthoosier
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:32pmHe can cash them in a few at a time without raising suspision. Or, maybe the cops will get lucky and the guy will put them up on Ebay..
Report Post »Justthefactsmam
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:32pmActually he just needs to walk in to a table and start playing, then walk to the cashiers cage cash out
Report Post »Xyskalla
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 12:54amUnless the casino changes their chips so the stolen ones will be recognized.
Report Post »JoeySocal
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 1:27amI went to cash a $5000 chip after playing blackjack at the Bellagio. The asked for my ID and where I was playing and then called the floorman to veryify that I should have that chip. The 500 and 100 chips are going to be easy for him to cash in. No questions. Also if you walk through the casino and see the closed tables there is easily a million plus in chips in the glass cases. The crap tables being the biggest.
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:21pmSo, how do you launder casino chips?
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:29pmGood question. If this guy is stupid enough to rob a casino of the chips instead of the money, then maybe the police should look at the area laundry mats for him to launder the chips…
Another one for the Stupid Criminal files again.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 5:32pmI was kinda wondering that myself?
Report Post »Workforit
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 6:12pmHe can sell them on the street for face value, but I’m guessing less…
Report Post »guyperram
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 7:43pmThe chips over $100 have a chip inside them, so those must de discarded. The others can easily be fenced. The thing is, this genius hit an area where there are so many video cameras, he had better never enter another casino, anywhere, They have some of the best facial recognition software in the world. If the got a picture of him, it is only a matter of time.
Report Post »The good news for him, though, 40-50 years ago he would simply have disappeared. Now he will probably be arrested.
He might be stupid, but he certainly has guts!
freddyt
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:24pmit very easy, you work with waitress’, bell hops and others to cash the chips. they usually know the cage cashier and no queations are asked.
Report Post »Reagan/Demint.deciple
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:52pmMaybe he has a gambling problem and now never has to worry lol just use those chips at the casios. nahh !!!
Report Post »Anarcho Capitalist
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:52pmThis guy is a champ! I would rather rob a bank. Its like he sat around thinking about the most gutsy thing he could do. This has to be it.
I would bet hes on the strip now. gambling it up and living big.
Report Post »BlazingPatriot
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 10:23pmJust wondering ……… did he get any salsa with all them chips ??
Report Post »firstamend
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 10:33pmPeople will pay 90% of face value for those things. They’re pretty much cash, the buyer basically just cashes them in
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:09pmand vegas has a shortage of washing machines…..
Report Post »Creestof
Posted on December 14, 2010 at 11:43pmWhat is odd is that they are revealing the dollar amount of the theft. From banks, all the way down to mom & pop convenience stores, they never say in public how much was stolen. If it is a large amount for the risk, it will encourage others to try the same thing. You tell the cops and the papers you are still taking inventory, etc…only ones who truly know are your bosses and the insurance company.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 12:00pmI’d think all the big dollar chips had rfid tags, and they would have a good idea of which ones left, and you couldn’t carry with $2million in $20 chips. 2 million in $20 bills would weigh over 200 pounds, chips weigh at least 10 times as much as dollars bills, so even $100 chips couldn’t be carried by your average guy.
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