Officer accused of robbing three Las Vegas casinos with police-issued gun is indicted

“Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!” a man said as he jumped over a Las Vegas casino counter, shoved an employee to the ground and grabbed $78,868.

The man was a Las Vegas police officer and has been indicted for that casino robbery and two others, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

Caleb Mitchell Rogers was arrested on Feb. 27, the release said. According to the affidavit, the three robberies took place between Nov. 12 and Feb. 27, and the robber seen in security footage from the casinos behaved similarly in all three incidents.

According to the affidavit, Rogers robbed $73,810 from the Red Rock Resort and Casino on Nov. 12 by approaching the casino’s cashier cage and demanding money from the cashier. The cashier complied, and Rogers left the building with a bag full of $20 and $100 bills, documents said.

Because of the robbery, the cashier cage at the casino was closed for several days, and “interstate commerce was also delayed, obstructed, and affected,” the affidavit said.

The next robbery occurred on Jan. 6, the affidavit said. Rogers stole $11,500 from the Aliante Casino Hotel Spa by demanding the money from a cashier, documents said.

The final robbery took place on Feb. 27, according to the affidavit. Rogers entered the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and confronted employees who were loading money into the cash drawers of the sportsbook area. According to the affidavit, Rogers told the two women that he would shoot them, and said something to the effect of “This isn’t your money, it’s not worth losing your life over it.”

Rogers shoved one of the employees — a woman over 60 years old — to the ground , grabbed approximately $78,898 and placed the money in a bag, the release said.

Several casino employees triggered the building’s robbery alarms, and security officers chased after Rogers, documents said. Rogers was accused of making more threatening comments, including “are you willing to be shot over this?” and “I’m going to shoot you,” the affidavit said. The security officers were able to detain Rogers until Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers took him into custody, the affidavit said.

Police said Rogers had worked with their department for over five years. Officers also found that one of the weapons he used to carry out the robberies was issued to him by the police department, the affidavit said.

Rogers was charged with three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the release. The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for each count of interference with commerce, and life imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, the release said.

Rogers pleaded not guilty to all four counts and is currently in custody, according to court documents. His jury trial is set for May 23.

This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Officer accused of robbing three Las Vegas casinos with police-issued gun is indicted."