The Biggest Casino Heist in Colorado History

An arrest has been made following Colorado’s largest casino cashier heist since legal gambling started, taking place on March 12 in Black Hawk. An affidavit states this as being true.

According to an affidavit, Sabrina Eddy was working shortly after midnight when she received texts purporting to come from casino bosses. Eddy allegedly packed $50,000 cash stacks into her van and left the property.

What Happened?

Black Hawk, known for its crime sprees, never witnessed anything quite like what occurred on March 12: the largest casino heist in state history occurred when an alleged cashier from Monarch Casino stole $500,000 allegedly without being noticed by security. While not as elaborate as an Oceans 11 movie – multiple levels of control would need to have been breached for this incident to have taken place, as reported by former head of Division of Gaming Tom Cobley who told 9News about this happening.

According to an arrest affidavit, casino cashier 44-year-old Sabrina Eddy was captured on camera gaining entry into Monarch Casino cage and taking bricks of cash two at a time, police claim she obtained 10 stacks totalling half a million dollars from within its cages. After this she loaded them into her van and drove away.

She called the casino after leaving, telling them she received a call from someone identifying themselves as the head of operations who advised her there was an issue with a UPS delivery and needed her help returning money in a box to the casino. She reported taking this money directly to St. Anthony’s Hospital emergency department before giving it over to an individual there – authorities eventually discovered this fact and she insisted she was following orders from the casino.

She claimed she attempted to return the box of money back to the casino but they wouldn’t take it, so instead returned it back to the hospital and gave it to him again. When she told the casino about this phone call they told her to come in with all of her information about theft charges she faced and arrested her shortly thereafter; no word has yet been given regarding when or if she’ll be released from Gilpin County Jail; watch this video from 9News Colorado for more info and subscribe on YouTube for future videos from Colorado’s NBC affiliate NBC affiliate 9News Colorado for updates!

Investigation

Nearly one month after Monarch Casino of Black Hawk was fined $400,000 for employee misconduct related to sports gambling, another major incident took place: it was robbed of half a million dollars – Colorado’s largest ever casino heist committed by one of their employees! Now the state Division of Gaming is investigating this theft to understand where things went wrong at the casino for it to occur.

At around one quarter to one in the morning on March 12th, as daylight saving time began again at approximately quarter past one, cashier Sabrina Eddy took steps to steal $50K bricks of money from the casino cage and load them into her van before driving off and returning approximately an hour later to take four more bricks for herself before driving away again, according to police, texting two individuals she believed were directors via text and phone call.

Eddy informed investigators she was acting under orders from two men identifying themselves as the casino’s head of operations and cage manager, who indicated if she did not accept the money it would constitute a breach of contract. To meet their instructions she drove it to St Anthony’s Hospital in Denver where she put it into a lockbox before giving it over to an unidentified individual who picked it up on her behalf.

Eddy was arrested after her arrest at the casino and has pled not guilty, remaining at Gilpin County Jail on a $50,000 bond. As the investigation into this heist continues, so too may its details evolve and take unexpected turns.

The Colorado Division of Gaming’s sixty law enforcement agents are leading this case. Former head Ron Kammerzell stated to 9News that this casino heist would have overcome many controls within a casino and would have “compromised various levels of controls within it”. Typically, however, their investigations focus on crimes such as gambling disputes between blackjack tables or slot machines and disputes over payouts for these gaming operations.

Arrests

One of Colorado’s biggest casino heists took place earlier this month at the Monarch Casino in Black Hawk. According to KRDO, 44-year-old cashier Sabrina Eddy was caught on video allegedly stealing half a million dollars from its vault at midnight on March 12 – according to an arrest affidavit, Eddy reached into the cage around midnight to collect bricks of $50,000 each which she then put into boxes wrapped with rags before sealing with tape before driving away in her minivan before returning an hour later and taking four more bricks of cash and driving off once more! Investigators believe she returned an hour later and collected four more bricks before driving off yet again before driving off another time around an hour later when four more bricks from its vault a week after.

Eddy informed authorities she was under orders from the gaming property’s head of operations and cage manager to collect the money, which she claimed she received by caller from someone saying it would otherwise constitute breach of contract with the company. Unfortunately, investigators did not accept her account of events, arrested her on suspicion of theft instead, and remains in Gilpin County jail as of this posting.

Eddy planned on meeting someone she believed to be an attorney and giving over the funds, according to reports. Instead, an individual identified themselves as such by calling and saying the casino had hired them specifically to handle such matters.

The theft was so brazen that it prompted the gaming commission to levy a fine against the property, along with further changes such as enhanced employee screening procedures and tighter sports betting oversight.

Eddy has entered a not guilty plea in response to her charges and will appear in court again on April 19. She stands accused of second-degree felony theft and cannot own or use firearms or casino computers; if found guilty she could serve up to a year in jail. Currently she is being held on a $10,000 cash bond; after defense lawyers requested release on personal recognizance bond from imprisonment but their request was denied on the basis that had Eddy had the funds she would have posted it herself.