Opening statements begin for Metro officer accused of casino heists

Federal prosecutors allege that in the span of four months, a Las Vegas police officer robbed three different casinos of more than $164,000, and was caught brandishing his police-issued revolver at security guards.

But his defense attorney argued Tuesday that the evidence connecting Caleb Rogers to two of the robberies includes unclear surveillance video and the word of his brother, who himself was previously a suspect in the investigation.

“It’s a lot messier than the way it’s described by the government,” defense attorney Richard Pocker said of the alleged spree of casino heists Rogers is on trial for this week in federal court.

Rogers, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022 on three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was arrested in February 2022 during an armed robbery at the Rio, and was later connected to two prior robberies at the Red Rock Resort and Aliante Hotel, police have said.

He was first employed by Metro in 2015 and was previously assigned to the Bolden area command’s community policing division. He has been “relieved of duty without police powers,” a spokesperson for the police department said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Brother slated to take stand

Opening statements and witness testimony began Tuesday in Rogers’ trial, which is expected to last through Friday. Witnesses are expected to include Metropolitan Police Department officers, casino employees and Rogers’ brother, Josiah Rogers.

Attorneys said that Josiah Rogers has been granted immunity from prosecution and has been ordered to testify in the case.

During opening statements, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cowhig said that Josiah Rogers and one of Caleb Rogers’ friends and fellow police officer have identified him as the suspect captured in surveillance footage of the Red Rock Resort and Aliante Hotel robberies.

During the first robbery, at the Red Rock Resort on Nov. 12, 2021, Cowhig said Caleb Rogers drove his brother’s pickup truck to the casino. The truck’s distinctive orange paint was disguised by a vehicle cover with holes cut out for the windows and windshield, Cowhig said.

Rogers is accused of taking $73,810 from casino during the November 2021 robbery. At his brother’s request, Josiah Rogers called a tow truck company to take the truck to be scrapped less than five hours after the early morning robbery, Cowhig said.

Prosecutors also argued that Rogers stole $11,500 from the Aliante Hotel on Jan. 6, 2022. He is accused of driving a white vehicle to the casino before the robbery, which prosecutors said was Caleb Rogers’ Volkswagen Jetta, found abandoned months later near his home.

The morning of Feb. 27, 2022, prosecutors said Caleb Rogers entered the Rio, jumped over the sportsbook counter, pushed an employee to the ground and started shoving stacks of cash into a bag, stealing more than $78,000.

‘Are you willing to die?’

The robber then ran outside toward the parking garage and was tackled by a security guard, who testified Tuesday that he struggled with the suspect as the robber tried to pull out a firearm. The security guard, Tuileisu Poutasi, testified that the robber told him, “Are you willing to die? I will shoot you.”

Another security guard, Tommy Baker, said he helped pull the gun from the robber’s grasp. Baker showed the revolver to jurors on Tuesday, and testified that he felt the robber attempt to pull the trigger during the struggle.

Witnesses testified that the robber wore latex gloves, a ballistics vest under his jacket, a wig, a dark beanie and a blue surgical mask.

Rogers’ attorney argued that before tying Rogers to the Aliante Hotel and Red Rock Resort robberies, police were investigating Anthony Carleo, known as the Bellagio Bandit. Pocker said investigators had gone as far as setting up surveillance on Carleo, who is now out of prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing $1.5 million in chips from the Bellagio in December 2010.

Police also received dozens of anonymous tips after releasing surveillance images of the Aliante Hotel and Red Rock Resort robber, Pocker said. He argued that the focus on the Bellagio Bandit and the multitude of tips show that the surveillance images should be not relied on to identify the suspect.

Pocker argued that the expected testimony of Josiah Rogers, who Pocker argued lied to police and changed his story during the investigation, is also not enough to tie his brother to all the robberies.

“He has a lot to gain by laying it all off on his brother,” Pocker argued.

Testimony in the trial is expected to resume on Wednesday.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.