Poker Writer
Two suspects, including an employee, have been charged in connection with an armed robbery at a Missouri casino in one of the most lucrative casino robberies ever. The pair of suspects robbed the Isle of Capri casino in Boonville in the center of the Show Me State last week.
Boonville is located in central Missouri, just off of I-70 between Kansas City and Columbia. Benjamin Charles and Hollis Vanleer entered the casino on March 25 at 2:15 p.m. They entered the cashier cage in the main bank area and removed more than $1.27 million, stuffing it into a black duffel bag. Both men had guns, one an AR-15-style rifle and one a semi-automatic pistol.
A casino patron tackled one of them during their escape, instigating a fight that slowed their flight.
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Tracking the Missouri Casino Robbery Suspects
The young 21- and 20-year-old suspects left the property in a gold 1998 Ford Taurus. The car was found abandoned on a county road a few hours after the robbery. Authorities searched the vehicle and recovered a receipt identifying Charles as one of the suspects. A phone number was found and connected to the purchase of a firearm, again connected to Charles.
The car also had seven homemade explosive devices. After he was captured, Charles told police the pair planned to use the devices to create a diversion.
Charles of Columbia, Missouri, is an employee of the casino. He revealed that the robbery was a premeditated attack that had been percolating for a month.
Prosecutors have charged Charles with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, and tampering with evidence. His bail is set for $1.3 million, comparable to the amount the pair of men stole.
Vanleer, from Normal, Illinois, is still on the run. Police said they considered him armed and dangerous.
Historic Amount of Money Stolen
The FBI assisted local police with the investigation. Lieutenant Eric Brown said the scale of the robbery was massive:
We have a lot of experience across our agency and with the officers involved in this investigation. This is one of the larger robberies that we can remember in our careers.
The $1.27 million robbery stacks up with some of the largest casino heists in history. Not many casino robberies have reached the seven-figure mark, and most casinos have ironclad security, making them undesirable targets for thieves. Most of the largest robberies have taken place in Las Vegas.
Among the most notable was the so-called “Biker Bandit” heist at the Bellagio in 2010. Poker player Tony Carleo stole $1.5 million and escaped on a motorcycle. Police apprehended him in a sting a couple of months later.
