ShareThe first fortnight of the 2023 WSOP has hit record attendances and prizemoney so far, but with the influx of poker players and money into Vegas it attracts some of the wrong crowd - a hotel thief being snared in a sting operation last week...
The suspect, 44-year-old Robert Black, is alleged to have roamed the corridors of the Paris Las Vegas hotel and burglarized rooms, making off with more than $5,000 in just a few hours.
After numerous guests recently complained of their rooms being robbed of valuables and cash, the hotel’s security team set up a classic bait and sting operation.
A wallet stuffed with $600 in bills was placed in a room which had hidden surveillance cameras installed, security guards in the next room watching and waiting to pounce when the sneak-thief struck.
Robert Black entered the room at 4:40am on June 2nd and was soon detained by Paris security after a brief scuffle, with local Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD) officers quickly in attendance.
According to police reports of the incident, Black had on his person a flathead screwdriver, a Paris room key made out to another guest, as well as US$5,365 and CAD$990.
Black was found to have entered at least six rooms across four floors between 3:00 am and 4:40am before his unfortunate choice of the “bait room”, all with guests inside as he robbed them.
Peepholes had been tampered with and at least one door had “visible markings on the lock/deadbolt area, which police said were consistent with the flathead screwdriver,” according to local press reports.
Police revealed that all but one of the targeted rooms were suites with double-door entries and all were located close to the elevators in the same wing of the tower. This knowledge from previous thefts had allowed security to target their “sting” operation effectively.
One single occupant male victim reported having $2,400 in a money clip stolen, the clip itself valued at $80. A second male reported the theft of roughly US$1,100 and CAD$800, while a third lone male reported $244 in cash missing.
The occupants of the other two rooms were couples, who reported cash thefts of $550 and $925, respectively.
Black now faces 19 counts related to the June 2 break-ins, with five counts of residential burglary and one count of attempted residential burglary.
LVMPD investigators stated that Black has two 2017 felony convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery and attempted burglary. An initial hearing has been set for October 23rd.
Although no specific poker players are known to have been targeted, the WSOP being in town and playing out at the Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally’s).
Shaun Deeb, who yesterday bagged his 6th gold bracelet, was the intended victim of a similar night-time sneak-thief robbery at the Rio in 2021.
