Four people were arrested late last month at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, in connection with the earlier theft of two luxury watches worth $500,000 from guests at the casino resort.
On August 17, one man had a $400,000 limited edition Richard Mille watch stolen from him while at the Fontainebleau’s LIV nightclub. A month later, on September 15, a second victim had his $100,000 Richard Mille watch stolen from him while at the same club.
Police and casino security used facial recognition technology and standard surveillance cameras to recognize the suspects on Friday November 29, when they returned to the Fontainebleau.
Johan Hernandez-Castillo, Milton Castillo Martinez, Briyith Munoz Noak and Laura Vargas Reyes have all been charged with grand larceny over the incidents.
The Thefts
The first victim of the four alleged thieves was identified as Ye Zaw. The businessman went into a restroom while at LIV, and as he left, he was bumped into by a group of people heading past him.
Around 10 minutes later he realized his limited edition $400,000 Richard Mille timepiece was no longer on his wrist. After the theft was reported, casino security and Las Vegas Metro police combed through security footage.
Investigators determined four people were involved after catching them on security footage surrounding Zaw and slipping his watch off while he was distracted.
However, the team could not identify any of the individuals or catch a clear shot of their faces. But, that wasn’t the end of the case. The four suspects were apparently back again at LIV just a month later.
The second victim was approached on the dance floor in the luxury nightclub by a woman. After a brief interaction, two men joined the woman and argued with the victim. Some pushing and shoving ensued before the group departed – minutes later the victim realized his $100,000 Richard Mille watch was missing.
That time, police say they got a clearer picture of the suspects.
Arrest and Charges
Around a month after the second theft, police say the four suspects returned to the Fontainebleau – where they were promptly recognized by facial recognition cameras.
Minutes after being recognized on November 22, Martinez, Vargas, Munoz, and Hernandez were arrested at the Las Vegas Strip casino resort.
The four have each been charged with two counts of grand larceny. They are scheduled to appear in a Clark County court on January 22.
This is far from the only case of luxury watches being stolen in Las Vegas. But it is the third recent reporting of such an incident specifically at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
A woman was arrested in mid-November after allegedly stealing a $125,000 Rolex watch from a man she drugged in a Fontainebleau bar.
The luxury Las Vegas Strip resort hasn’t had the smoothest start to life since its long-delayed December 2023 opening. So, news of several expensive watch thefts over just a few months will not please resort management.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
