Las Vegas Police Officer Turned Casino Robber Sentenced

Article ByDavid Weir

October 18, 2023

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Posted in: Nevada Gambling News, US Casino News, US Gambling Crime News

A Las Vegas police officer, Caleb Rogers (pictured), has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his involvement in a series of armed casino heists in the city.

In February 2022, the 35-year-old officer was arrested in a Sin City parking lot after robbing the Rio resort of $78,000. In June of this year, he was found guilty of stealing more than $164,000 from Nevada casino venues, including Red Rock Resort and the Rio.

Now, Rogers has been sentenced for three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Prosecutors argued that Rogers’ gambling addiction was a significant factor that led him to commit these crimes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cowhig had recommended a sentence of more than 18 years in prison for Rogers, with the firearm charges alone carrying a mandatory sentence of seven years in prison.

However, U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon, taking into consideration Rogers’ prior service as an EMT and police officer, sentenced him to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Rogers was also ordered to pay more than $85,000 in restitution.

The Impact of the Robberies

The police officer, who has been on unpaid suspension for the last 20 months, used his force-issued revolver during his crime spree. Rogers’ actions have not only affected his victims, but have also cast a shadow over the Metropolitan Police Department.

Nevada retail sportsbooks were also targets for the police officer-turned-robber, and the heists were not without violence, leaving some victims traumatized.

In the February 2022 robbery at the Rio sportsbook, Rogers physically assaulted an employee, pushing them to the ground, and then proceeded to steal more than $78,000.

A guard was so shaken by Rogers’ threats he left the job shortly afterward.

In an earlier incident in late 2021, Rogers enlisted the help of his brother, Josiah Rogers, to rob the Red Rock Casino Resort of $73,000.

In between robbing Red Rock with his brother and robbing the Rio, where he got caught, January 2022 saw Rogers hold up staff at the Aliante Casino Hotel Spa in North Las Vegas. That time, he made a get away with about $11,000.

Josiah later testified in court about the initial Red Rock robbery in return for immunity to prosecution. Earlier this year, he told the court, how the brothers scoped out the property and rehearsed the robbery before executing their plan.

Caleb Rogers was caught shortly after his final robbery at the Rio, where he was tackled by security in the parking lot. He had worn the same outfit throughout his robbing spree, including a wig and black gloves.

During the sentencing hearing, Caleb Rogers, dressed in a yellow inmate uniform, expressed his remorse and tried to explain his actions. “I don’t have the ability to express to the court the stress I was facing,” he said.

Rogers was not the only casino robber active in Las Vegas during late 2022. In April this year, police arrested a suspect who stole around $30,000 in a string of four casino holdups in Las Vegas and wider Nevada.