In a brazen scheme, a 33-year-old Nevada man allegedly impersonated the owner of a downtown Las Vegas hotel, deceiving employees into handing over more than $1 million. The suspect, identified as Erik Gutierrez-Martinez, contacted a cashier cage supervisor at the Fremont Street hotel, claiming he was the owner and urgently needed $320,000 for fire safety equipment. The supervisor complied, delivering the cash to Gutierrez-Martinez at a gas station. This scenario repeated twice more at different locations, ultimately totaling $1,170,000 in fraudulent payments.

This incident mirrors similar scams reported at another Clark County property and in a different state. Authorities tracked Gutierrez-Martinez through the vehicle used to collect the money. A search of his residence uncovered $849,000 in cash, bundled and labeled "Circa." The investigation continues to locate the remaining funds. Gutierrez-Martinez was arrested on June 18 and charged in connection with the scheme. His bail was set at $25,000. Circa CEO Derek Stevens addressed the incident on Twitter, confirming the casino's cooperation with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's ongoing investigation.