Bellagio Is Site of $61K Chip Theft, Suspect Due in Las Vegas Court

Posted on: August 18, 2022, 01:17h. 

Last updated on: August 19, 2022, 04:47h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 28-year-old man is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas court today for allegedly stealing some $61,000 worth of casino chips. It took place at the Bellagio two months ago on the Strip.

Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay, pictured above. The Las Vegas casino saw a man allegedly trespassing on Monday. He was charged later for a casino chip theft at the Bellagio. (Image: Travel Nevada)

The suspect, Clayton Bollier, was spotted at Mandalay Bay Casino on Monday for alleged trespassing. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers were alerted. Metro police apprehended him for the chip theft. His specific charges were not immediately available.

Authorities arrested him for a June 7 incident when he allegedly picked up an abandoned bag containing casino chips on the Bellagio casino floor. The incident was caught on surveillance video, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Bollier told officers he was in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker tournament, which ran from May 31 through July 20, he told LVMPD officers.

Before his court appearance, he remained at the Clark County Detention Center on Thursday morning. Bail was set at $2,000. It could be adjusted in court proceedings.

Prior Chip Thief

Starting in May, LVMPD officers were on the prowl for another man who was suspected of repeatedly stealing casino chips from at least one local gaming venue. The thefts took place five times since last November.

Metro police released a video of the suspect and a still photograph. It is unknown if he was ever arrested.

Police did not identify which gaming properties the chips were stolen. They only said the thefts occurred in the 2000 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard, which suggests it may be The Strat. No word either on how much in chips were swiped in the repeated thefts.

This suspect had a similar pattern after walking onto the gaming floor. He grabbed the chips from a gaming table before fleeing the casino, KVVU, a local TV station, reported.

Earlier Chip Thefts

In May 2021, a reputed Las Vegas gang member was arrested for allegedly stealing a safe containing $750,000 in cash and $250,000 in poker chips from the home of pro poker player Chad Power. The suspect, Brock Brewer, 32, and at least one other man allegedly followed Power from a Las Vegas casino to his Henderson, Nev. residence.

The duo returned on Feb. 10, 2021, when they allegedly broke into the residence through a back door when nobody was home. They stole the safe before fleeing via the front door, police said.

Power was playing poker at the Strip’s Aria Hotel & Casino when the break-in took place, police told KVVU.

In 2019, Samuel Stovall, 31, was charged for allegedly stealing $16,000 worth of chips from the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. It was not immediately known how the charges against Stovall and Brewer were resolved in court.