Thief Who Scammed $1 Million Out of Circa Casino Stands Trial

Article by : Erik Gibbs Sep 22, 2023

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A man identified as Erik Gutierrez stands accused of impersonating a Las Vegas hotel owner and persuading a casino employee to provide him with over $1 million.

The accused requested fraudulent payments for fire safety equipment, as indicated by documents obtained by the 8 News Now investigators on Monday. According to records, Erik Gutierrez, at age 23, is facing charges for theft exceeding $1,000,000.

The incident occurred on June 17, prompting a response from Las Vegas Metro police at the Circa Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Documents reveal that an individual from the hotel’s security office informed detectives that an unknown person had contacted the casino cage, falsely claiming to be the hotel’s owner.

The accused requested $320,000 as an emergency payment to the fire department, as detailed in police court documents.

Subsequently, police conducted interviews, including one with the cage supervisor, who recounted receiving a phone call from someone posing as the hotel’s owner.

The impersonator stated that the fire department needed to inspect the fire extinguishers and required payment for additional safety devices.

Documents also describe how the cage supervisor delivered the money to the imposter at various off-site locations in four instalments.

The total sum involved included $314,000, $350,000, and $500,000, along with three smaller deposits, leading to a total loss of $1,170,000 for the hotel. The casino employee genuinely believed she was communicating with the hotel’s owner and her manager.

Additional details in the documents indicate that the employee also believed she was meeting with the hotel owner’s attorney. Police later searched a vehicle with Gutierrez and another individual, but no money was found.

Around the same time, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Gutierrez’s residence. The search yielded items such as identification linked to Gutierrez and a substantial bag of U.S. currency bundled together, bearing the name “Circa” on the bundle, among other items.

Gutierrez was arrested at a gym on Sunday, June 18, and police recovered nearly $850,000. However, as of the writing of his arrest report last week, authorities remained uncertain about whereabouts of the outstanding $314,000.

Notably, the second individual in the car with Gutierrez before his arrest was not detained. Judge Amy Ferreira set Gutierrez’s bail at $25,000 and ordered him to stay away from Circa and the Fremont Street Experience if he posts bond.

Derek Stevens, CEO of Circa, commented on the situation, expressing cooperation with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. However, he refrained from providing further comments due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Furthermore, Gutierrez faces a similar charge in Mesquite Justice Court, where bail has been set at $20,000. A booking photo was not immediately available.