Fontainebleau Las Vegas Sees Theft of $300K Worth of Copper, Other Metal

Posted on: March 7, 2024, 05:58h. 

Last updated on: March 8, 2024, 10:32h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A person was arrested last week for swiping about $300K worth of copper and other metals from the recently opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

In total, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers said Alejandro Dejesus stole approximately 2,500 pounds of copper piping and other metals from the property, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

The $300K estimated cost includes materials and labor.

Dejesus was charged with theft, residential burglary, and destroying or injuring real or personal property of another.

On Saturday, he appeared before Las Vegas Judge Daniel Westmeyer before being released after posting a $25K bond. Dejesus is next scheduled to appear in court on March 20.

Over six months, Dejesus had sold the copper and metals to a recycling company, police said. He told police it was “leftover material.”

Hid From Guard

When stopped by a security guard on February 25 in a mechanical room at the property, Dejesus pretended to be a worker at the complex. He was attempting to hide behind a pillar at the time, KLAS reported.

When questioned, Dejesus told the guard he was a construction worker. The guard then requested Dejesus show an ID. But he told the guard IDs were in his truck.

Dejesus claimed he was going to the truck to retrieve the ID, but he never came back.

The guard soon located a backpack filled with copper shavings, a mask, and saw blades, police said. He reported the theft to the LVMPD on February 26.

LVMPD began to investigate the thefts and arrested Dejesus during a traffic stop last Friday.

Dejesus later told authorities that he “had been going to [the] Fontainebleau multiple times per week over the past year.” He also claimed he had worked at the hotel up until January 2023, which is why he was familiar with the complex.

History of Troubled Project

At a price tag of $3.7 billion, Fontainebleau, which opened in December, is the newest addition to the Las Vegas Strip.

Construction began in 2007 on the plot first occupied by the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in 1948. The Thunderbird was later renamed the Silverbird, and then the El Rancho, before closing in 1992.

There were several mishaps and setbacks before the property opened in December, including a July fire.

The troubled property has changed hands many times over the years, with its longest owner being Carl Icahn, who purchased the bankrupt project in 2010 for $151M.

Currently, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a partnership between the Koch brothers and Florida real estate developer Jeffrey Soffer who also owns the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas is located on the north end of the Strip. The casino has 1,300 machines and 128 table games.