Strat Casino Fart, Explosion Threats Lead to Las Vegas Prosecution, Police Reveal

Posted on: February 10, 2022, 11:49h. 

Last updated on: February 10, 2022, 01:38h.

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

A man remains in custody Thursday for claiming recently he was going to “blow the building up” at The Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod. Brian Gower, 46, threatened he “had a grenade in his ass and he wanted to fart” at the Las Vegas Strip complex, Metro police told KSNV, a local TV station.

Brian Gower
Brian Gower gives a thumbs-up as Las Vegas police take his mug shot. He was arrested after allegedly threatening to blow up The Strat Casino. (Image: LVMPD)

He gave the security guards 15 minutes to evacuate the property last Friday. Police searched him and no grenade was found.

Later, Gower was handcuffed and then taken to the Clark County Detention Center, KSNV said. Gower was charged with a count of making threats of conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism. He appeared in local court this week.

At one point during his interrogation, Gower claimed to police he was an actor trying to increase awareness of bombings, KSNV said. Also, he claimed he was previously incarcerated for choking his ex-wife. He had told her about mass shootings, police said.

Joe Rogan Claims

He also told authorities he was actually “Joe Rogan 2.0.” Rogan is a controversial podcaster.

At another point, Gower also said his attorney was a TV character: Saul Goodman. Goodman appeared in the AMC TV series Breaking Bad. He spoke at length, too, about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Casino security guards first spotted Gower walking outside of The Strat. If found guilty, Gower could be sentenced to between two and 20 years in prison. He could also be fined as much as $5,000.

Last year, Gower made a similar threat in Downtown Las Vegas, local TV station KLAS, reported.

Prior Threats

In an unrelated incident, last July a transient man allegedly threatened to kill all guests and employees at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. He claimed to have a nuclear weapon.

David DeMaison was apprehended by security officers at the Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino. He then was arrested by Metro officers. Among the charges he is facing is conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism, according to KTNV, a local TV station.

I have a nuclear weapon. I will kill everyone here,” DeMaison was heard saying.

In a similar incident, security at McCarran International Airport, since renamed Harry Reid International Airport, was beefed up last April after a Nevada man allegedly threatened to blow up planes and shoot people in Las Vegas. The threat came after he was informed a carry-on fee would be charged for a piece of luggage, Metro police said.

Andrew Greco, 52, who is believed to be from Stateline, Nevada, was arrested on two charges: communicating a bomb threat and making a threat in an act of terrorism, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, citing court documents.

It was unclear how the Greco and DeMaison cases were resolved in court. Gower’s case is pending.