A former hotel operations manager at the Aria Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip allegedly stole $776,000 from his employer.
Big money
A former employee at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas allegedly stole more than $770,000 during his tenure at the hotel. Police arrested Brandon Johnson last week and charged him with 13 counts of theft. MGM Resorts investigators contacted the department’s financial crimes unit in July to report fraudulent refunds, Las Vegas police said.
The same credit card number was used in Aria’s reservation system to process refunds
MGM discovered that the same credit card number was used in Aria’s reservation system to process refunds for guests’ previous stays. An initial internal audit calculated the total loss at $773,206 and ultimately identified Johnson as the culprit. After further investigation, the total amount increased to more than $776,000.
Draw attention to himself
Johnson first began working at MGM Resorts in 2007. While he left his position for a time, he rejoined the company in 2013 as director of hotel operations. One of Arya’s other managers found it suspicious that Johnson was suddenly spending large amounts of money on luxury vacations, a new house, and expensive dinners.
Johnson claimed he was working as a private chef for wealthy clients. The manager became curious because he had never heard Johnson talk about cooking and dug deeper and found out Johnson has processed many refunds for himself. The coworker reported the matter to his boss, who asked him to gather evidence.
Face the consequences of his actions
Investigators linked Johnson to 209 recoveries over a 12-month period. Authorities obtained a subpoena to view the 38-year-old man’s bank records, and were able to see large transactions at luxury retailers such as Versace and Louis Vuitton. Some transfers to his other accounts amounted to up to $160,000.
He is currently in the Clark County Detention Center on $100,000 bail
Johnson resigned from his position midway through the investigation and eventually turned himself in to police headquarters on September 1. He is currently in the Clark County Detention Center on $100,000 bail. He will have a preliminary hearing on September 19 and will be subject to electronic monitoring if he meets bail.
