Married Couple Accused of Stealing $650K from Nevada Casino Needed Money for Medications
A husband and wife were recently taken into custody on suspicion of robbing the cashier's cage at Primm Valley Casino in Nevada of almost $650,000 in cash and casino chips.
According to authorities, Lydia Salmen, 70, "jumped over the counter" at the cage last week and stole a large quantity of coins and chips along with $625,569.47 in cash.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she and her husband, John Salmen, 63, were charged on July 19 with theft of more than $100,000 and attempted business burglary.
Cash Discovered at Their Residence
Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) inspected the couple's Las Vegas residence and discovered bags of coins and chips containing the majority of the missing cash.
Authorities also found a bill for $12,039.41 and a note stating that their health insurance plan "would not pay for certain medications," according to the news report. In an LVMPD arrest report, the large bills were listed as "a possible motive" for the theft.
According to Las Vegas TV station KLAS, the wife was able to enter the cage area on July 18 by navigating through a gap in the cage bars. She spent approximately an hour gathering the cash and chips when there were no workers around, the complaint stated.
She left some of the coins behind as she pulled out several drawers in the cage room in an attempt to find the treasure.
The pair then took off in a Nissan hatchback, traveling 44 miles to reach their Las Vegas home from the casino situated on the California-Nevada border.
It seems that nobody from the company was inside the cage when the incident happened.
Police Watch Video
Police discovered the couple had visited the casino twice, on June 25 and July 18, and had caused a "disturbance" on the premises on June 25 after reviewing security footage from the establishment.
Regarding the earlier event, the police withheld information. By coincidence, police body cams captured footage of the pair on June 25 while the officer was at the casino for unrelated reasons. Additionally, a license plate belonging to John and Lydia Salmen was captured on camera.
Police also discovered a yellow sweatshirt matching the woman's attire from her June 25 visit to the casino while searching their home.
The couple may each receive a prison sentence if found guilty.
"We thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) for swiftly recovering all but $300 and arresting several people for the theft that occurred at the Primm Valley Casino Resort on July 18,” Brad Egnor, chief marketing officer for Affinity Interactive, said in a statement this week to KLAS.
“Due to the resort’s robust security protocols and collaboration with the LVMPD, the incident did not impact any guests or team members. We remain committed to the safety and security of team members and guests in continuing to deliver world-class experiences.”