Silverton Casino opened in 1994 as the Boomtown Las Vegas.
Metro Police are searching for a man they say robbed the Silverton Las Vegas around 8:30 pm on Tuesday night. The man is said to have robbed the cage area where money is distributed.
The man, who wore a hood and sunglasses, showed a handgun and demanded the cashiers provide him with money. He demanded that staff members put money in his duffle bag. As casino policies dictate, the staff members dutifully filled the bags with cash.
Left in a Gold SUV
Once he had a bag full of money, the man exited by the garage and got into a gold SUV. The vehicle’s license plate is not known, but Metro Police believe the vehicle might be a Chevy Tahoe. It was last seen going east on Blue Diamond Road.
Metro Police have not mentioned whether the man drove the getaway car or if he had an accomplice.
Police Description of the Suspect
The police description of the man said he is an African-American man standing about 6′ tall and likely in his 30s. He was wearing a dark hoodie and pants, as well as the aforementioned sunglasses. Police say anyone with information should call Crimestoppers at their number 9702) 385-5555. The phone number for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is 702-828-3855.
Authorities released video footage of the man in question, but the video is grainy and the footage is in black-and-white. The robbery took place in the money cage for the Silverton Casino’s sportsbook. No one was injured in the robbery.
How Often Do People Rob Casinos?
Robbing a casino is no mean feat. Modern casinos not only have video surveillance cameras overhead, they have cameras in the parking lot to note the license number of any vehicle, if something happens.
More than that, casinos have security staff which has the right to bear arms. Off-duty police often boost the security detail, while on-duty police make frequent sweeps through the area.
Casing the Joint
To plan such a robbery attempt, the criminals need at least a basic understanding of the layout of the casino. For instance, they would need to know where the garage was in relation to the sportsbook’s bursars cage.
For that reason, the robbers might be frequent gamblers or even staff members. At the very least, the potential robbers would have needed to scope out the casino beforehand. That means police and casino security might be able to review recent surveillance footage to spot suspicious visitors, including those who might match the description of the robber.
More Details Likely to Emerge
If the suspects were foolish enough to scope out the casino while driving the same gold SUV, it is possible the license plate of the vehicle might have been recorded. The man presumably would not have been wearing a hoodie if he earlier cases the operation for signs of vulnerability. Thus, better photographs or video evidence might emerge of the suspect.
Suspects often are foolish and engage in conspicuous consumption. When authorities ask for tips or put out a reward, they get a lot of calls from people who notice suspicious activity of their neighbors. That activity might be the buying of new cars or houses, or the purchasing of expensive jewelry. Several casino robbers over the past few years were caught when they went on a shopping spree, or used money with serial numbers traced back to the gaming operation.
Banks sometimes have a stash of money set aside to give to potential robbers. This money has specific serial numbers, allowing authorities to track any use of that cash. In other cases, the money is rigged with a device which sprays brightly-colored liquid on whomever opens the stash. In this case, the robber is marked with ink for days, while the cash is noticeable to anyone who sees the cash.
