Rapper and Friends Pay for Casino Heist
Three people convicted of stealing almost $200,000 from the Cher-Ae-Heights Casino in Trinidad, California, were sentenced this week. Peter Collins was given 11 months, equal to time served. His girlfriend, Emily Weitzel, received a year and a day, and Daniel Porter got 30 months.
Porter was employed in the casino's surveillance room, and acted as an inside man, developing the plan and revealing the casino's layout and procedures. On the day of the theft, Weitzel played slots until Porter passed her his keys, which she relayed to Collins.
Collins, disguised as a casino security officer, used the keys to pass through one security door, and Porter opened two others from the camera room while observing real security on the screens and running interference for Collins.
Weitzel made a call to a security official posted near the vault and distracted him while Collins crawled past to the vault, entered, and put $198,000 in a duffel bag. He then left the secure area, returned the keys to Weitzel, and drove away.
Authorities quickly realized inside help had been needed, and found evidence by tracing Porter's phone records. Weitzel and Collins were linked to Porter, and it was found they had changed addresses to a Washington location just before the heist. Asearch of their new house turned up a briefcase with over $150,000 under the bed. The three are also liable for the bulk of the unrecovered portion of the money.
Collins was a local rapper, going by the nicknames Manifest and Pistol Pete. It seems likely he's learned that stealing from casinos, among the most secure and surveillance-heavy of all industries might not be the smartest idea; but then, he is a rapper. At least he's got more street cred now, after he does his time.
