Suspect Arrested for Stealing Copper, Tools from Las Vegas Strip Resort

Despite the efforts of casino operators to ensure the safety of the visitors, incidents such as robberies do happen. While some crimes involve guns and manpower, others focus on fraud and deceiving practices such as cheating orchestrated by groups of individuals. Yet it is quite uncommon to hear stories about thefts related to copper piping and tools, which is the case for a person who was recently arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The individual is suspected of stealing some 2,500 pounds (1,130 kg) of copper pipes, along with other metals and tools from Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the luxurious casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The price tag for the stolen goods is a whopping $300,000, local media station KLAS reports. The suspect in the crime was identified with the initials A.D. The person was reportedly previously employed at the casino resort but was laid off back in January.

Law enforcement suspects A.D. has been stealing tools, as well as pipes from copper and other metal for a couple of months at least. He was arrested earlier this month by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department after law enforcement identified the license plate of his truck. After the suspect was questioned by police, he claimed that he was previously employed by Fontainebleau as a general labor worker. This allowed him to explore the resort and identify areas where he could cut the metal pipes without the danger of water bursting.

Charges against the suspect include burglary and destruction of personal property. The suspect’s bond was set at $25,000. After posting his bond, A.D. is required to come back to court for a hearing scheduled for March 20, 2024.

Security Found the Suspect in a Mechanical Room

The downfall of the alleged thief came after on February 25 he was spotted by a security guard at Fontainebleau. The person was reportedly found by the guard in a mechanical room with security requesting his identification.

At the time, A.D. told the security guard that he didn’t have his ID on him, claiming it was in his truck. He also claimed that he was a construction worker who was finishing a job. Upon leaving the site to take his ID, the suspect never returned. Security found a bag of tools left on site, where saw blades and copper shavings were found. Then on February 26, the resort security contacted law enforcement and reported the incident.

Upon investigating, police found out that since September, the suspect has been selling metal, including copper, to a local recycling company. It is believed that between September and March, when he was detained, the suspect sold some 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg) in metals. Police alleged that when the company asked him where he got the metals from, he claimed it was leftover materials from jobs he worked as a union plumber.