Palmdale man wanted in Vegas casino chip heist

LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas detectives are looking for a 31-year-old Palmdale man accused of sneaking into a restricted area of a Las Vegas casino and stealing $1.6 million in high-denomination casino chips.

Akingide Cole is wanted on suspicion of burglary, grand larceny, and unlawful possession of burglary tools in connection with an incident that occurred on October 10, shortly after 6 a.m., at the Venetian Casino, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Tourist Crimes Unit.

The preliminary investigation indicates that Cole was able to gain access into a closed area of the casino from which he removed chips of various values.

There were no weapons involved in the crime, and no confrontation occurred between Cole and others during the incident, police said.

Cole is described as a light-skinned black male, approximately six feet tall and weighing about 225 pounds. He is further described as having short dark hair worn in a semi-mohawk style and a dark goatee.

Cole also has a large fibrous growth on his left earlobe. He was last seen wearing glasses, a black shirt with a green print tie, blue jeans and a grey jacket.

Anyone with any information about this crime or the whereabouts of Akingide Cole is asked to call the LVMPD Tourist Crimes Unit at 702-828-3204 or visit www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

It’s unlikely that the thief will be able to redeem the high-value chips, because licensees generally know who their customers are, a spokesman for the Nevada Gaming Control Board told the Associated Press.

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