LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A suspect has been taken into custody nearly a year after allegedly convincing a casino employee to hand over $750,000, police say.
36-year-old Rosa Barria was arrested last week as a suspect in the theft, according to an arrest report obtained by FOX5.
On June 8, 2023, security officers at the Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall reported a possible scam to police around 4:53 a.m.
When describing the incident, the officers would also tell Metro police that an unknown suspect called a supervisor in the cashier’s cage. The suspect would claim to also be the casino’s Director of IT and ask the employee to remove $750,000 from the cage to pay for an incoming delivery.
The employee also noted that another unknown person sent them text messages, claiming to be a lawyer representing the casino.
The employee then removed several large bundles of money from an unlocked drawer and took a picture of it to send to the suspects.
The employee then left the casino in a personal vehicle and drove to a location provided by the suspects. An unknown male and female then approached the employee, and the money was handed over.
While driving back to the casino, the employee told police that they began to feel suspicious about the interaction and became worried that they had just fallen for a scam.
According to the report, investigators would not be able to identify the suspects involved in the theft until a similar incident occurred in September 2023.
The incident would involve a similar scheme involving employees transporting boxes of money to the suspects, though the second incident involved a mini-mart.
Following the incident, police would identify Barria as a possible suspect, though she would be the only suspect identified in the report. In an interview, she would tell police that she was merely asked by another individual to deliver the box to them.
Her arrest would mark the latest case in a string of scams that police suspect to be part of a larger theft ring, according to the report.
Last month, a couple was taken into custody for stealing money from the casino cage at Primm Valley Casino and Hotel. 70-year-old Lydia Salmen was observed on surveillance video climbing over a desk and grabbing bags of money.
Last year, 23-year-old Erik Gutierrez-Martinez agreed to a plea deal after stealing over $1 million from Circa by posing as its owner. A judge would order Gutierrez-Martinez to pay restitution to Circa, as well as Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite.
Barria remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center on $30,000 bail. She is due in court again on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
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