Man Sentenced to One Year in Jail for $1M Theft from Circa Hotel & Casino

Latest Sports Betting News – October 31, 2023

A man involved in a sophisticated criminal organization has been sentenced to a year in jail for the theft of over $1 million from the popular Circa Hotel & Casino. Erik Gutierrez Martinez, 24, pleaded guilty to the theft, and if he completes his sentence at the Clark County Detention Center, he will avoid additional prison time. However, failure to complete the sentence could result in an additional 36-to-96-month imprisonment.

“He’s a bag man for a highly sophisticated criminal organization,” said Clark County Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont.

In court, Gutierrez Martinez admitted to his actions being “very stupid” and expressed remorse for his involvement. The theft involved multiple casinos, including Circa, Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite, Nev., and the Golden Nugget in Laughlin, Nev.

Fire Prevention Scam and Hand Sanitizer Plot

In a complex scheme, a scammer posing as the hotel owner contacted a Circa employee and requested $320,000 for fire-prevention expenses. Over time, the employee delivered a total of $1,170,000 in cash, leading to the discovery of the theft. Additionally, another incident involved a casino cage supervisor at the Eureka casino who was tricked into handing over $250,000, believing it was for purchasing hand sanitizer. Gutierrez Martinez’s involvement in both instances implicated him in the scam.

No information has been provided regarding the potential prosecution of other individuals involved in the theft at this time.