LVMPD cop stands accused
A Federal Grand Jury has accused Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officer Caleb Rogers, 33, of robbing three casinos of nearly $164,000.
Rogers made his initial court appearance on Friday
While the federal grand jury returned the indictment on March 22, Rogers made his initial court appearance on Friday. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada (USAO-NV) announced the jury’s findings Monday in an official news release shared on Twitter:
According to the USAO-NV, the authorities have indicted Rogers on “three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.”
Allegations in the indictment reveal that in the November 2021 and January 2022 Vegas casino robberies, the LVMPD officer walked up to cashier cages and demanded staff hand over approximately $73, 810 and $11,500, respectively.
The LVMPD arrested Rogers in late February following his third, and most audacious heist, where he allegedly robbed the sportsbook at Vegas’ Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino of approximately $78,898.
The shocking details
The Justice Department’s Monday news release revealed the details of the Rio sportsbook heist for the first time. According to the document, the accused ran towards two members of the casino’s sportsbook staff in a threatening manner, yelling:
“Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!”
The Metro cop allegedly climbed over the counter and pushed one employee onto the floor, stuffing tens of thousands of dollars into a bag. When staff set off an alarm, Rogers fled, running towards the parking area, where a casino security officer tackled him, the indictment reveals.
At this point, Rogers pulled a .357 caliber revolver, placed a finger on the trigger, and threatened: “I’m going to shoot you!” A security detail managed to disarm and restrain the accused until LVMPD officers arrived on the scene. The officers took Rogers into custody and seized his revolver, which they identified as an LVMPD issue weapon.
Facing a life sentence
US Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler has scheduled a jury trial for Rogers on May 23, 2022. Should the court convict the LVMPD officer, he’s looking at a long stretch inside, and possibly life.
The maximum statutory prison term for each count of interference with commerce by robbery is 20 years per count, and Rogers has three counts to his name. For brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, the penalty is life imprisonment.