New Zealand Police Recover Stolen Casino Equipment During Sting Operation

Summary

• Thieves rob casino equipment including Golden Nugget roulette wheel
• Kiwi owner finds thieves and sets up sting operation to catch them
• Thieves get caught and owner gets back her casino equipment

Las Vegas Functions, a company based out of Auckland, New Zealand was facing the prospect of a bad Christmas. The company offered casino party entertainment and was shocked recently when they realized that some of their equipment was stolen, with a classic 1950s roulette wheel from Las Vegas being the major highlight of the theft.

Fortunately, the authorities were able to do something about it and Debbie Williams, the owner of Las Vegas Functions, has her property back.

Plan To Catch The Thieves In Action

The casino equipment was stolen on December 8. The haul consisted of the roulette wheel, casino chips, blackjack shoes and more. All of it was stored in a locked fiberglass trailer but the thieves broken into the trailer and the equipment stolen. Williams was shocked and disappointed when she learnt what had happened.

She was looking for replacements for her lost equipment when she stumbled upon an online post on Trade Me that had pictures of her stolen paraphernalia. Williams initially went to the police to get some help. However, because of COVID, they were unable to take action right away. This is why Williams decided to take the matter into her hands. She connected with a private investigator and a plan was concocted to catch the thieves with the stolen goods.

Williams decided to be the highest bidder on the thieves’ page so that she would win the auction. This meant that she could arrange the meet for when the equipment was to be picked up. She did exactly that and the police decided to show up and arrest the thieves. According to Williams, it was a nerve-wracking experience as she plotted the whole sting operation.

Successful Sting Operation

The sting operation was scheduled at the Bishopdale Mall car park which is in Christchurch. Police were there to greet the unlucky thieves. Most of the equipment was recovered along with several interesting additions like 150 fake credit cards.

The roulette wheel was the star of the recovery. It is an original roulette from the Golden Nugget Casino back in the 1950s. The piece had a lot of sentimental value for Williams and her family, which has run Las Vegas Functions for years now. The police arrested two people during the sting operation. One was a 38-year-old man charged with the burglary, while a 41-year-old woman is charged with receiving stolen goods.