Man Accused of Sexual Assault at Las Vegas Strip Casino

Posted on: May 7, 2021, 03:10h. 

Last updated on: May 7, 2021, 03:22h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

A 43-year-old Michigan man is due in court this fall on a charge of sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Frank Anthony Ruggirello
Frank Anthony Ruggirello, seen in this police booking photograph, is accused of sexual assault at a Las Vegas Strip casino. He is due in court in September. (Image: LVMPD)

Frank Anthony Ruggirello of Clinton, Mich., was arrested Tuesday. He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in a Las Vegas court on Sept. 16 for a preliminary hearing, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

On Monday evening, a security officer at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino phoned the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department about a potential assault. A woman staying at the hotel had told a lifeguard at the pool that she had been sexually assaulted. The MGM Grand is the green-tinted resort at the southeastern end of the Strip near McCarran International Airport.

When police arrived, the woman said she had traveled to Las Vegas with Ruggirello. They were sharing a room. The two had gone out for dinner and drinks and to see a show. Back at the room, she awoke to find him assaulting her, the newspaper reported.

Ruggirello told authorities he and the woman had been drinking much of the day. He said he had consensual sex with the woman. He denied assaulting her, according to the newspaper.

Records show a criminal complaint was filed Thursday in Las Vegas Justice Court against Ruggirello, the Review-Journal reported. He is listed as indigent.

The MGM Grand is outside city limits, but the combined city-county police department, known locally as Metro, responds to calls on the Strip. 

Wedding Day Rape Arrest

An increase in violent crime on the Strip and nearby tourist areas last year prompted Metro to launch a crime suppression effort. The Nevada Highway Patrol assisted in the program, which authorities referred to as “Operation Persistent Pressure.” Police said much of the violence last year could be attributed to out-of-town gangs and visitors. 

This surge in violence occurred after Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) allowed casinos to reopen June 4 following an 11-week, pandemic-related shutdown.

This year, assaults and other violent crimes on the Strip have resulted in injuries and arrests.

One high-profile recent case involved a man accused of raping a woman at the Luxor Hotel and Casino on the day he was scheduled to be married in Las Vegas. 

Omar Delaney is set to appear in court in Las Vegas on July 26. He is charged with three counts of sexual assault stemming from the April 20 incident. The Tacoma, Wash., man has been released from the Clark County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond.

Expensive Watches Stolen

Another recent case that attracted attention involved a 23-year-old woman accused of drugging men she met at casinos on the Strip and stealing their luxury watches. Windy Rose Jones of Las Vegas has been arrested twice in these cases.

In the most recent incident, police said she met a man early one morning at Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip and left with him to go to a nearby hookah lounge. He later awoke in the valet area at the Venetian Resort. His $45,000 Rolex was missing. He told authorities he thought he had been drugged.

Similar incidents occurred with two men at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on separate occasions. Both men said they thought they had been drugged. Both were missing their expensive watches.