Mary Scrantin
This is the shocking story of Caleb M. Rogers a policeman who not only broke the law but did so in a manner that defied all traditional wisdom – bagging himself a twelve-year sentence after he masked himself up and robbed three Las Vegas casinos of nothing less than $164,000.
His disguise was one thing, but his gait was another thing that stood out, distinctive enough that it led to his arrest. The irony of this story is that the very person who’s meant to protect and safeguard the public turned out to be a criminal himself. Why would a police officer do this? Read on to find out!
The Masked Robber: A Mystery Case
One night, a certain unidentified man decided that he was going to make some easy money. He made his way into a casino and robbed them of all they had. He had the perfect plan, and he was sure he wouldn’t get caught. He picked a location and made his way there. He had the perfect pickup truck for the job.
And so his getaway truck wouldn’t look suspicious, he covered it with lots of trash bags. This mysterious man dressed himself in black attire, sporting black latex gloves, hid his face behind a mysterious mask, and headed out to his first location, the Red Rock Resort and Casino.
The Casino Heist: The First Mission
Just a few minutes before 4:00 a.m. on November 12, 2021, the mysterious man pulled up at his first location, the Red Rock Resort and Casino, he went straight to the cashier and demanded all the money they had in the safe.
Scared to the bones, shivering and afraid that the masked robber would begin to shoot, the cashier packed all the cash at hand and handed him almost $74,000. The masked robber stuffed the money, mostly $100 and $20 bills into a bag and made away with it.
The Casino Heist: The Success Of The First Mission
His plan seemed perfect, he was able to successfully get away with almost $74,000 without getting caught. He left the casino, leaving the cashier in disbelief and confusion. It was dark, so it was difficult for anyone to get a good look at his face. The Cashier quickly called the authorities and when they arrived the masked robber was long gone.
Source: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Since no one was able to identify him, they decided to review the security camera footage to see if he left any clues, this was when they noticed something very important. This mysterious man had an unusual gait. He would kick out his left foot before he took a step. But this didn’t stop him from embarking on more missions.
The Casino Heist: The Second Mission
The first robbery was a success, a solid push for him to embark on a second one. So, after meticulously planning his second heist, on January 6, 2022, he pulled up at Aliante Casino and Hotel in North Las Vegas at around 4:30 a.m. This time in a white Volkswagen and parked somewhere no one could easily spot him.
Following the same pattern, dressed in all black, wearing latex gloves and a mask, approached the cashier like he had a weapon on him, he demanded to have all the money and made away with $11,500. Successful second attempt but the evidence was getting clearer, with the security footage showing him walking in the same manner while he walked down to his car.
The Casino Heist: The Last Mission
With two successful robbery attempts, he became unstoppable, this made him plan his third attack, and just six weeks after the second heist, he headed off to the sportsbook at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. He arrived at his location a few minutes before 7 a.m. on the 27th of February 2022.
This time, he was a little more aggressive than his other rodeos, his arms tucked in his pockets like he was armed he instructed the casino employees who were transferring money from a bag to cash drawers to get away from the money. He shoved one of the employees and made his way to the counter, packed all the cash he could get, and fled the scene with about $79,000.
He Even Threatened The Casino Employees
This particular raid was different, unlike the other robberies where he just demanded money from the employees. On his third heist, he was more impatient. He took no time to yell at the employees, letting them know that he was armed and that he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot them if they refused to get away from the money.
According to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, he told the employees “Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you” He also yelled “This isn’t your money it’s not worth losing your life over” Although consumed with fear, the casino employees after giving him the cash, triggered an alarm and alerted the security officers.
The Security Officers Chased And Apprehended The Masked Robber
As the emergency alarm went off, the security officers knew something was off, an intruder was on the premises. So they started chasing the robber and chased him down to the parking garage. Feeling cornered and outnumbered, the robber did the unthinkable and brought out a silver revolver threatening to shoot the security officers.
While chasing the robber the officers noticed that he had some trouble with his left leg which made it quite difficult for him to to run. Things began to add up, he had the same features as the masked robber from the previous casino robberies. The security officers caught him, disarmed him, and handed him over to the Las Vegas police.
The Masked Robber Turns Out To Be A Policeman
The Las Vegas Police Department had a suspect in mind, a man with a distinct feature. Although they could not place a face to it, the unusual gait was the key clue to catching the suspect. It all made sense when the security guards at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino handed the robber to the police. His features matched that of their intended suspect perfectly.
The robber had a gun and he covered the serial number with a yellow sticker, upon checking the serial number it was revealed that it belonged to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and had been checked out three times by a certain Caleb M. Rogers. Imagine the shock on everyone’s face when he identified himself with his officer number.
The investigation Of Las Vegas Policeman Caleb M. Rogers
The investigation started, and the Las Vegas police needed to find out everything they could about his motive. When they searched Rogers’s apartment, they found out that Rogers was given a quit notice together with several past-due notices together with an occupational injury form as a result of an injury Rogers sustained in 2019.
It was argued that the reason why Rogers robbed casinos was to pay off debts he incurred while gambling. Rogers was a gambling addict and was neck-deep in debt. After his first successful attempt, Roger felt like he could keep robbing casinos without getting caught while paying off his gambling debts.
The Heavy Consequences Of His Actions
No one is above the law, not even a police officer. Rogers went to trial, with testimonies from his brother Josiah Rogers, on how he acted as a getaway driver in his first attack. He then moved away from Las Vegas a few days after the robbery. Caleb Rogers’ best friend and fellow police officer confirmed that the surveillance images of the suspect wearing dark clothes were indeed Caleb.
Considering his actions, Rogers faced up to 20 years imprisonment on each robbery count and life imprisonment for the firearm conviction. But his mother and attorney pleaded with the jury for leniency pointing at the fact that Roger was a law enforcement officer.
The Long Awaited Sentencing Of Caleb Rogers
Caleb M. Rogers was found guilty of three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and concerning a crime of violence.
After several back and forths, the trial came to an end with the police officer Caleb Rogers being sentenced to twelve years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Conclusion
The circumstances surrounding this case are surprising. Who would have thought that Caleb Rogers, who was inducted into the Las Vegas metropolitan police department, the very symbol of law and order would turn out to be the masked casino robber? No one! This is a perfect example of betrayal of the public’s trust.
This case serves as a reminder that no one regardless of their uniform or title is above the law. After this terrible letdown, it is now left to the police force to mend the broken trust and reaffirm their commitment to uphold law and order while rebuilding the faith of the communities they swore to protect.
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