Casino Crime News Roundup: California Cardroom Robbed, Suspect Charged

Posted on: December 17, 2024, 08:20h. 

Last updated on: December 17, 2024, 09:08h.

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

A man was jailed after he allegedly held up the Stars Casino located in Tracy, Calif. on Friday, and soon was located by police using a drone.

Stars Casino
The Stars Casino, pictured above. The cardroom was robbed on Friday. A suspect was arrested. (Image: Stars Casino)

Joseph Just, 34, of Antioch, Calif., was charged with robbery and booked at the San Joaquin County Jail.

The incident began at about 5:45 a.m. on Friday when an employee at the cardroom notified local police the gaming property had been robbed. The suspect was described as a man who was wearing black clothes.

The suspect pulled out what turned out to be a replica gun, according to the Contra Costa News. He demanded an employee turn over cash. The suspect was given the loot and then fled the scene.

Officers responded quickly and used a drone to locate the suspect. Officers then used thermal imaging to pinpoint the man’s location. Eventually, he was apprehended while hiding in a drainage ditch, police said.

Initially, he refused to surrender to officers, but police were able to convince Just to give himself up. Nearby, officers found the replica firearm apparently used in the robbery and the stolen cash.

Police didn’t specify how much money was stolen from the cardroom. No one was injured during the incident.

Ex-Casino Employee Confesses to Theft

A former casino cage manager at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe recently admitted in court that he stole almost $10K from the gaming property, according to a news report.

The Tahoe Daily Tribune reported Alberto Jesus Caballero swiped $9,967 from the gaming property on May 9, 2021.

Under a plea deal, Caballero will pay $300 a month to pay off the amount. He also will forfeit $1,500 in bail.

If the full amount is paid off, Caballero will be able to withdraw a guilty plea to a felony and instead be charged with a less-severe misdemeanor charge. If he fails to make restitution, he could face between 16 and 60 months in prison, according to the Tribune.

Caballero was apprehended for the theft after he was stopped in Texas for a traffic violation. Officers did a background check on him and discovered the pending charge related to the casino theft.

He posted a $5,000 bond and returned to Nevada to appear in court.

The Hard Rock is now known as the Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino.