Tobago Casino Heist Leads to Theft of $92K, Suspects Flee

Posted on: August 24, 2022, 11:55h. 

Last updated on: August 25, 2022, 01:01h.

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

Tobago police continue to search for the trio who robbed about $92,000 from the Silver Dollar casino Monday on the Caribbean island. One of the men was armed with a gun.

Tobago
A scenic view of Tobago, pictured above. The Caribbean island was the site of a recent casino robbery. (Image: Tobago Tourism)

The money was stolen out of a vault, Trinidad & Tobago Newsday reported. The three bandits then fled after the nighttime theft.

The casino is located in Shirvan Plaza, near the Shirvan police headquarters.

Prior Crimes

In September 2021, a local man accused of murdering a Trinidad and Tobago casino security guard during a robbery was found not guilty, according to local news reports. He was set free over a decade after the 2010 crime. The defendant denied any wrongdoing

High Court Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds made her ruling after noting inconsistencies in testimony. She then told the defendant, Anthony “Bussa” Contrera, 37, from Tunapuna, that he was a free man.

During the several-week trial, which kicked off in August 2021, prosecutors tried to prove Contrera killed Qiydaar Alexander at Jackpot Casino and Members Club in the town of Curepe. They claimed he and others pretended to be customers. Contrera then allegedly wounded Alexander in the head. Casino workers and players were subsequently robbed, prosecutors said.

After being shot, Alexander fell to the ground, lost consciousness, and bled heavily from the wounds. He died later from his wounds. A firearm was also stolen from the crime scene, according to Newsday. Also stolen was $151,000 (about US $22,137) in cash and the casino’s surveillance camera system.

But Contrera said he was shopping elsewhere on the island when the robbery and murder occurred. Two reported witnesses failed to appear in court to testify. During the trial, Contrera also denied any wrongdoing.

When announcing her verdict, the judge noted disputes on what the murderer was wearing. She noted a witness claimed the victim was shot at close range. But a pathologist said the shooter was between two to three meters from the victim when shots were fired, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, another local publication.

Casino Owner Fatally Shot

In another Trinidad and Tobago crime, casino owner Lucius John, 35, was at his LA’s Amusement Club when he was fatally shot by robbers in December 2020.

He died at the crime scene. John opened the gaming property just two weeks before he was murdered. It appears that no suspects have been arrested in the case.

Upon seeing the bandits, John alerted his brother-in-law and another relative to flee. The bandits then shot him. One of John’s relatives said he gave up his own life when alerting the family members.

“Two more of my family members would have been dead this morning if it weren’t for Lucius. That was the kind of man he was,” Newsday reported.