A conniving scheme has come to light in Las Vegas where Rosa Barria, a 36-year-old woman was arrested on allegations of stealing $750,000 by convincing a casino employee that she was a legal representative of the hotel. The Las Vegas Metro Police Department took Barria into custody last weekend as the investigations into the theft continue to unfold, FOX5 reported.
On the morning of June 8, 2023, an audacious hoax was played out where a casino worker from Sam's Town cashier cage was duped into thinking a supposed delivery needed to be paid for by the casino. While she was on the phone with the scammer, she simultaneously received deceitful text messages. It was after this point that the employee gathered the significant sum and blindly led herself to a North Las Vegas business where two individuals, one believed to be a lawyer, collected the cash, as detailed by 8 News Now.
The police linked this theft to a string of similar incidents taking place across various casinos. In a notable case from last year, Erik Gutierrez-Martinez received a one-year sentence having tricked another casino employee into handing over a staggering $1 million, with the potential threat of a 36-to-96-month suspended sentence if probation is violated. Further details about the chain of thefts were brought to light, involving casinos such as Circa, Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite, and the Golden Nugget in Laughlin which saw federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, taking an interest in these operations, as per 8 News Now.
As the investigations continued, officers kept stumbling upon more such incidents, eventually leading to Barria's suspected involvement in these ploys. While initially unclear if she was the actor behind the initial call, police allege she deceived the employee. Barria now faces legal proceedings, with her bail set at $30,000, and a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 20., FOX5 stated. The repercussions of such fraudulent activities have rippled through the Las Vegas gaming industry, prompting a stern look at internal controls and the susceptibility of casino operations to such scams.
Representatives from Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall have not yet responded to requests for comments on the theft. The Las Vegas Metro police continue their probe into these matters, aiming to unravel the wider web of deceit that this recent arrest has brought to the surface.
