Badge & Bullets: Vegas Cop Robbed Casinos

Las Vegas is built on risk, but the biggest gamble lately came from one of its own. Caleb Mitchell Rogers, a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer, has been convicted of robbing three casinos at gunpoint. The total haul: around $164,000. Forget high rollers; this was a cop cleaning out the houses. The four-day trial concluded with a guilty verdict on charges of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm, setting the stage for a potentially lengthy prison term.

The robberies unfolded over a seven-month period, starting November 12, 2021, with a $73,810 grab from a westside casino. Rogers didn’t stop there. January 6, 2022, saw him hit a North Las Vegas casino for $11,500. But it was the February 27, 2022, incident that sealed his fate. He stormed the sportsbook area, weapon drawn, threatening employees to hand over the cash. This time, he didn’t get away clean.

A casino security officer intervened, tackling Rogers before he could fully escape with $78,898. A struggle ensued, and Rogers, incredibly, brandished his service weapon against the security officer. Fortunately, security subdued him, disarming him before LVMPD officers arrived to place him under arrest. The fact that a sworn officer used his official firearm to commit these crimes is a stunning indictment of his character and a slap in the face to legitimate law enforcement.

The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI and LVMPD, a necessary collaboration given the sensitive nature of the case. Evidence presented in court clearly linked Rogers to all three robberies, detailing his methods – directly approaching cashier cages and making demands at gunpoint. While the first two incidents involved no physical violence beyond the threat of the weapon, the third escalated dramatically, showcasing a dangerous willingness to use force.

Federal prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Cowhig and David Kiebler, built a solid case, presenting irrefutable evidence of Rogers’ guilt. The trial wasn’t about whether the robberies occurred; it was about proving Rogers was the man pulling the trigger – and the evidence did just that. The betrayal of public trust inherent in this case was a key component of the prosecution’s narrative.

Rogers is scheduled for sentencing on October 12, 2023. He now faces a reckoning for his actions, a reckoning that will likely involve a significant prison sentence. This case serves as a stark reminder that corruption can infiltrate even the most trusted institutions, and that no one – not even a police officer – is above the law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing as it develops.