Sex Worker at Bellagio Steals $85K Rolex Watch from Casino Guest, Cops Reveal

Posted on: July 20, 2024, 04:46h. 

Last updated on: July 20, 2024, 04:46h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A suspected prostitute is to appear in court next month for allegedly swiping an $85K Rolex watch and a $35K gold necklace from a guest in the Bellagio Las Vegas Hotel.

The incident took place on July 26, 2022. But the suspect, Maiah Meleschi, wasn’t arrested on a warrant charging her with the crime until days ago, on July 3.

The woman and man had met on the hotel’s casino floor after he’d been playing blackjack.

Meleschi walked up to him, and the two went up to his hotel room at about 5 a.m.

Two Had Sex

He paid her $1K in exchange for sex, police said. The man then fell asleep. When he woke up at noon, Meleschi was gone. So were his Rolex, the chain, and some $3K in cash.

He alerted the police. It took some time for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers to identify the suspect. They watched a surveillance video of her meeting the man, and of the couple walking to hotel elevators to get to his room.

She was also seen in a video leaving the hotel wearing both the chain and the luxury watch, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

Meleschi was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property, as well as two counts of burglary. She was booked at the Clark County Detention Center and has since been released from custody.

She’s next due in court on August 8. If she’s convicted, she could face a prison sentence.

No word what happened to the expensive watch or the missing cash. But the necklace was sold by Meleschi at a local pawn shop for $11,600, police said.

LVMPD officers said Meleschi was previously arrested for prostitution and trespassing, KLAS reported.

The man was visiting Las Vegas from an undisclosed hometown.

Trick Rolls Explained

LVMPD called the theft a “trick roll.” That’s commonly used to describe when a sex worker steals items of value or cash from a client.

Trick rolls are frequently reported to LVMPD officers. Often, they take place at hotels.

For instance, last September a visitor to Caesars Palace Las Vegas awoke to find that two women stole $120K in cash and his $20K Rolex watch. He had just won the jackpot at the casino.

He chose to collect the money in cash rather than taking a check. He had been drinking heavily when he met the two women on the gaming floor. The three then went to the victim’s room and had sex. The man fell asleep shortly after and awoke to find he had been the victim of a theft.

The suspects were identified as Coriana Singelton, 29, and Marriah Vanderwaal, 32. They were both charged with grand larceny, burglary, and conspiracy. It’s unclear how the cases against them were adjudicated.