Vegas Casino Robber Turns Out to Be a Vegas Cop

A federal jury convicted a Las Vegas police officer Friday on all counts of stealing nearly $165,000 during a trio of casino heists, including one where he was armed with a department-issued weapon that was loaded, per the AP. Caleb Rogers, 35, faces life in prison upon sentencing because he brandished a revolver during the third casino heist he carried out in February 2022. The case went to the jury shortly after Rogers’ younger brother testified against him for more than three hours, painting a clear picture for the jury of how the two successfully pulled off the first heist in the series.

Josiah Rogers said he participated only in that robbery. Caleb Rogers carried out the other two heists alone, prosecutors said. Throughout the weeklong trial, prosecutors had portrayed Rogers as a gambling addict who had grown increasingly desperate under a crush of debt when the robberies targeting casinos off the Las Vegas Strip began. Jurors heard from casino employees who said they are still haunted by their encounters with the robber. A security guard who wrestled with the robber for his weapon during one of the heists said he couldn’t stop thinking about how he might not have made it home to his family that day. And a 63-year-old cashier said she still looks over her shoulder when she handles cash at work.

Josiah Rogers was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony. Jurors scribbled notes and darted glances between the brothers as Josiah Rogers recounted the details. He said they rehearsed for their casino heist in November 2021. They used code words in an encrypted messaging app to communicate, he said. They returned home to their shared apartment after successfully robbing the Red Rock Casino’s cashier cage and spread the money across their dining table, counting out $73,810. Josiah Rogers said he took his $30,000 cut and moved back to their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, a week after the robbery.

Before he took the stand, the government’s evidence had been mostly focused on the third robbery in February 2022, when Caleb Rogers was arrested outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Prosecutors said Rogers stormed that casino’s sportsbook, shoved the 63-year-old cashier out of his way, and threatened to use a gun while he shoveled $79,000 into a drawstring bag hidden inside his jacket. Within minutes, prosecutors said, the robber was tackled by a group of security guards outside the casino and detained after a brief struggle. Police lapel video played during the trial showed Rogers identifying himself as a police officer as he was folded into the back of a patrol car outside the casino.

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