Vegas Man Arrested for Extorting Casino Mogul Steve Wynn

A Las Vegas man has been arrested for allegedly running a years-long extortion campaign against casino mogul Steve Wynn, sending threatening emails and packages demanding $1 million.

“I Am Not Your Friend. I Know Where You Live.”

According to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by WPEC-TV/West Palm Beach, 43-year-old M.L. began targeting Wynn in October 2023. 

The correspondence allegedly threatened to expose “unpaid taxes” tied to the sale of Wynn stock unless the billionaire complied with his demands. In 2023 alone, L. reportedly sent 79 emails, many containing explicit threats.

On January 30, Wynn’s executive assistant contacted the Palm Beach, Florida, police after the mogul reported receiving two packages that day. One package was sent via FedEx and the other via USPS Priority Mail. 

Both contained letters with menacing language, including statements such as, “I am not a nice man. I am not your friend. This situation is going to get very bad for you quickly. I know where you live.” 

Criminal Extortion Charge

The letters instructed Wynn to wire $1 million to a bank account controlled by L. and warned that he would “visit” Wynn if the money was not transferred by March 2.

Police quickly traced the FedEx package to a local Las Vegas FedEx Office, using high-definition surveillance footage to identify L.

The investigation was further aided by the fact that one of the letters included L.’s actual phone number. When police called, the outgoing voicemail used his name. On February 5, the man briefly answered a call from a detective before hanging up.

L. was arrested on Monday, February 9, and charged with one count of criminal extortion. He is being held at the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach on a $50,000 bond. A judge has prohibited him from contacting Wynn or any of his employees.

Since stepping down from Wynn Resorts in 2018, Steve Wynn has kept a low profile, living under tight security in Florida. 

However, this extortion case is the first time his safety has been publicly threatened in a dramatic way since his move. Legal experts note that with nearly 80 emails, letters, and packages involved, this is one of the most thoroughly documented extortion attempts in Palm Beach’s history.