Casino Manager at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas embezzles over €720,000
In the heart of the bustling Las Vegas Strip, the Aria Resort & Casino, one of the city's most iconic casino hotels, finds itself embroiled in a financial scandal. The resort, with its 3,436 guest rooms and 568 suites, ranking ninth in the world for the most rooms, is currently investigating a case of alleged embezzlement by its former hotel manager, Brandon Rashaad Johnson.
Johnson, who had been serving as the hotel manager for ten years, was reportedly living a lavish lifestyle, complete with expensive vacations, private jet travel, shopping sprees at Louis Vuitton and Versace. However, it was a colleague's suspicions that set off a series of events leading to Johnson's downfall.
The colleague, who noticed Johnson's extravagant lifestyle in early July 2023, also discovered that a total of 309 refunds had been booked onto Johnson's personal credit card over the course of a year. Investigations revealed that Johnson is said to have charged over 770,000 US dollars in supposed refunds onto his own credit card instead of the customers' accounts.
The colleague informed his superior, who initiated an internal investigation. Johnson reportedly resigned four days later. The hotel notified the police about the incident on July 27, 2023, and an investigation by the Metro Police in Las Vegas is ongoing.
Johnson is currently facing a total of 5 charges: theft, money laundering, and computer crime. He surrendered to authorities on September 1, 2023, and is currently in custody. The law firm Las Vegas Defense Group is reportedly representing Johnson in the case.
Employee theft from hotels, including luxury ones like the Aria Resort & Casino, is a common and financially significant issue in the hospitality sector. Industry data shows that hotels lose an average of 5–6% of their annual revenue to internal theft, with luxury hotels potentially losing $60,000 or more per month per location when theft is unchecked.
Johnson's case serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust security and operational controls in luxury hotels to prevent such incidents. Despite the use of physical security technologies like surveillance cameras, access control systems, and inventory oversight tools, theft remains a challenge due to the high volume of guests and employees, as well as extensive hotel layouts.
The Aria Resort & Casino has been a significant player in the Las Vegas hospitality scene, hosting prestigious events such as the Poker Masters and the US Poker Open in recent years. Despite this scandal, it remains one of the many impressive buildings on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, known for its impressive architecture.
As the first hearing in the case is scheduled for September 19, 2023, the full extent of Johnson's alleged embezzlement and the consequences for the Aria Resort & Casino remain to be seen. However, one thing is clear: employee theft is a serious issue that can have significant financial and reputational impacts on the hospitality industry.
[1] "Internal Theft in the Hospitality Industry: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention Strategies." Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 18, no. 3, 2016, pp. 353-361. [5] "Hotel Employee Theft: Causes, Costs, and Prevention Strategies." Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 4, 2013, pp. 724-734.
- While the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas faces a financial scandal involving a former hotel manager, online casinos in Germany and casino-and-gambling establishments worldwide may have a lower risk of internal theft due to less opulent lifestyles associated with the industry, as reported in general news sources.
- Despite the ongoing crime-and-justice case against Brandon Rashaad Johnson, the former manager of the Aria Resort & Casino, the culture of casino-games and luxury living in iconic destinations like Las Vegas persists. Indeed, the Aria Resort & Casino continues to host prestigious events, demonstrating its enduring appeal in the casino-culture.
- As the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas wrestles with a financial scandal, the incident emphasizes the importance of implementing comprehensive security and operational controls to combat employee theft in the hospitality sector, as highlighted by scholarly studies on internal theft in the Journal of Hospitality Management (2016) and Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly (2013).
