LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A Las Vegas Metro police officer charged in an armed robbery at a Las Vegas casino is also accused of robbing two more casinos while using a department firearm, documents said.
A judge charged Caleb Rogers, 33, on Monday in connection with the robbery at the Rio Hotel and Casino sportsbook just before 7 a.m. Sunday.
The 8 News Now I-Team’s Vanessa Murphy was first to report both Rogers’ arrest last weekend and his alleged ties to similar incidents in November and January.
The FBI filed charges against Rogers for those two incidents in court Friday, saying he is a suspect in a robbery at the Red Rock Resort and Casino on Nov. 21 and at the Aliante Casino on Jan. 6, documents said.
Rogers’ description matched for all three robberies, investigators said, including the fact he reportedly wore black latex gloves and body armor each time.
In the Red Rock robbery, FBI investigators believe Rogers walked to the casino’s cashier cage and demanded money. The cashier believed Rogers was armed and handed bundles of cash worth a total of nearly $74,000, agents said.
“A review of security video recordings showed Rogers had a unique gait, appearing to kick out his left foot and leg as he walked through the casino,” investigators wrote in court documents. “Rogers also appeared to have difficulty running from security because of a problem with his leg.”
In the Aliante incident, Rogers is accused of parking in a handicap spot, entering the casino and walking directly to the cashier’s cage. Rogers demanded money and made off with $11,500, investigators said.
Security video from that incident showed a man with a similar walking style. Rogers’ face was also partially visible in the video, police said.
In Sunday’s robbery at the Rio, Rogers is accused of telling employees who were loading cash draws, “Get away from the money, I’ve got a gun, I will shoot you!”
Rogers then grabbed one of the employees with both hands by her shoulders, shoved her backward, and caused her to fall on the ground, police wrote in an arrest report. Rogers kept telling the employees “This isn’t your money, it’s not worth losing your life over it,” before grabbing money from the cash drawer and placing it into a bag inside his jacket.
According to the report, security began chasing Rogers as he ran outside. A Rio security tackled Rogers in the driveway when Rogers pulled a gun out of his waistband, police said.
Rogerts had his finger on the trigger and began saying, “Are you willing to be shot over this? I’m going to shoot you! Go ahead and shoot me now!”
According to the report, once he had been taken into custody, Rogers verbally identified himself to police as an officer.
The firearm used in the Rio robbery belongs to Metro police and was “checked out to Rogers” during the time of each robbery, FBI investigators said.
FBI investigators said Rogers lives in the northwest part of the valley. When searching his home, agents found black latex gloves, eviction notices and paperwork indicating he had injured his leg in 2019.
In addition to the charges in Las Vegas Justice Court, Rogers faces additional federal charges of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was due in federal court next week.
A judge set bail at $250,000 on the state charges.
Rogers has been an officer since 2015. He is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/CuhRLNt
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