Suspect Arrested For Bellagio Chip Heist

Anthony Carleo, the son of a Las Vegas Municipal Court judge, was arrested on Wednesday as the prime suspect for a December robbery at the Bellagio Resort and Casino. Carleo is charged with robbery with a deadly weapon and burglary after he stole approximately $1.5 million worth of casino chips while holding a gun and wearing a helmet before later fleeing on a motorcycle.

Carleo was arrested at the Bellagio after allegedly trying to sell some of the stolen cranberry $25,000 denomination chips to an undercover detective.

According to the USA Today, Carleo frequently bragged about the robbery, signing some emails as the “Biker Bandit” and even boasting to dealers about how easy it would be to steal from the casino. The 29-year-old was a guest at Bellagio during the heist and spent several more weeks there, losing an undisclosed amount of money while gambling.

Police first became suspicious when a Salvation Army bell-ringer tried to cash in the first of the $25,000 chips. The worker told police that a stranger had dropped the chip into his pocket.

Detectives have recovered approximately $900,000 in chips and can account for an additional $300,000. Carleo’s father, Judge George Assad, said in a statement that he was “devastated and heartbroken to see my son arrested under these circumstances.”

After the robbery, the Bellagio discontinued the $25,000 chip, setting a four-month time frame to redeem them in an effort to draw the robber out of hiding. Carleo’s bail is set at $15,000.

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