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Anthony Carleo, also known as the “Bellagio Bandit,” closes his eyes as he is sentenced for his robbery of the Suncoast by Judge Michael Villani Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011.
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Published Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011 | 9:14 a.m.
Updated Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011 | 11:13 a.m.
Sun coverage
- Bellagio bandit gets 3-11 years for $1.5 million chip heist (8-23-11)
- Carleo admits to Suncoast robbery, could get up to 72 years (6-16-11)
- Prosecutor: Carleo could get 3 to 36 years for Bellagio robbery
- Alleged Bellagio ‘biker bandit’ pleads not guilty in district court (4-21-2011)
- Bellagio robbery defendant headed to district court (4-8-2011)
- Doctor expected to testify at hearing of accused Bellagio casino robber (4-1-2011)
- Confidential informant to testify at Bellagio robbery hearing (3-9-2011)
- Hearing suspended until next month in Bellagio robbery case (2-23-2011)
- Hearing set for alleged Bellagio ‘Biker Bandit’ (2-7-2011)
- Man has chance encounter on Internet with alleged 'Biker Bandit' (2-4-2011)
- Metro Police arrest judge’s son in Bellagio casino robbery (2-3-2011)
- After Bellagio heist, how slack security can cost Las Vegas casinos (1-11-2011)
- Bellagio nixing $25,000 chip after heist (12-29-2010)
- Bellagio bandit gets $1.5 million in gambling chips (12-14-2010)
Anthony Carleo, the man who called himself the "biker bandit," will serve between nine and 27 years in prison for robbing both the Bellagio and the Suncoast casinos last December, a Clark County judge ruled today.
"I'm completely ashamed of myself,” Carleo said this morning before being sentenced. "I'm not a lost cause, though. I know I can turn my life around."
District Judge Michael Villani decided to sentence Carleo, 30, to six to 16 years for the Dec. 9 Suncoast robbery.
Villani disregarded appeals of Carleo’s attorney, William Terry, to run the Suncoast sentence concurrent to the sentence Carleo got Tuesday for the Bellagio heist, which was three to 11 years.
Carleo will also have to pay $18,945 in restitution for the money he took from from a Suncoast cashier’s cage that was near where a poker tournament had been taking place.
The matter of restitution in the Bellagio robbery is still to be determined. Carleo took some $1.5 million in casino chips at gunpoint from a craps table in the casino’s pit area on Dec. 14, then ran through the casino wearing a full-faced motorcycle helmet and escaped on a motorcycle into the night.
Assistant District Attorney Chris Owens told Villani that police still have not recovered about $793,000 in chips from the Bellagio robbery. Many of those were cranberry-colored $25,000 chips.
Carleo’s attorney, William Terry, argued that the chips are now without value because the casino no longer uses them. Terry said almost as soon as the chips were taken, a network was set up to make sure any of the stolen chips that came back into the casino were scrutinized.
"That was one of the major problems that Mr. Carleo had, which was, it's one thing to take something, it's another thing to get rid," Terry said.
Villani said he didn't feel comfortable dealing with the Bellagio restitution and referred the matter back to Judge Michelle Leavitt, who sentenced Carleo in the Bellagio case on Tuesday.
Before issuing the sentence on the Suncoast robbery, Villani said he had received a packet of character reference letters from those advocating for Carleo. Those include both his mother and his father, former Las Vegas Municipal Judge George Assad, who attended the sentencing.
The letters also included a city councilman from Colorado, teachers, principals, grandparents, a former Colorado sheriff and numerous friends, Villani said.
Terry argued, that in looking at the letters, "you ask yourself 'What went wrong? This was a young man who was on the right road, more than on the right road."
Terry said the letters show he was well respected.
"You've got the All-American boy here. So what goes wrong?" Terry said. He blamed it on a car accident that led to Carleo taking Oxycodone, a pain medication.
"Before long, he was hooked on the pills," Terry said. Carleo began a downward spiral that led to "a horrendous drug addiction," Terry said.
"He was getting prescriptions like they were going out of style," Terry said.
Terry said that a presentence report to the court says Carleo's "addiction to gambling and drugs drove a once law-abiding person to commit the crimes worthy of a hardened criminal."
Anthony Carleo, also known as the "Bellagio Bandit," stands as he is sentenced for his robbery of the Suncoast by Judge Michael Villani Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011.
Since his arrest in February, Carleo has been in the Clark County Detention Center, where he now has no drug issues.
"I can't tell you he's not going to go back to drugs, but it's highly unrealistic to believe that," Terry said.
Terry said before coming to Las Vegas to attend UNLV to get a bachelor's degree, Carleo had a real estate license and two associate degrees.
"This was a downward spiral that occurred within a short period of time," Terry said.
Terry argued for making the sentences run concurrently, rather than consecutively with each other for what he called Carleo's "December spree."
Villani said he read the letters and thought Carleo sounded like "someone you might want as your neighbor."
However, the judge said that the planning of the two robberies was sophisticated and not an impulse crime.
Villani said he was "dumbfounded" by the parole and probation department's recommendation that Carleo be given a minimum sentence of two years for the Suncoast robbery.
"This isn't the same as grabbing a purse from someone in a parking lot," Villani said. "I can imagine how the cashier felt and the manager felt when he pointed a gun at them."
Specifically, Villani sentenced Carleo to a minimum of 54 months and a maximum term of 144 months for the Suncoast robbery, plus a consecutive term for using a weapon of from 18 months to 48 months, which equates to a term of six to 16 years.
The judge also sentenced him to an 18- to 60-month term for his second felony charge in the Suncoast robbery, which will run concurrently.
Villani said Carleo placed Suncoast clerks, employees and security guards in danger during the robbery.
"You placed every patron in that hotel in danger," Villani said. "That warrants the appropriate punishment."
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Isn't Mr. Carleo the son of a judge, or a former judge? Of course he should get a lenient sentence. Didn't he use a gun in at least one of these crimes? If he was born and reared near the corners of "D" Street and Lake Mead Boulevard, he'd be looking at about a 30 year minimum
I never understood concurrent sentencing. Two separate crimes, two separate sentences served one after the other!! I can stomach at least him serving 9 years rather than the talked about 3. The arrogance of this idiot going back to the Bellagio after the heist to gamble with the chips he stole??!!
Something tells me he will go thru life after his release looking for the quick score, the easy money way thru life when there really isn't one.
The man you want to hear from at sentencing is the one he pointed the gun at point blank. That's the person who has the scars.
The one thing missing from Mr. Carleo sentence, is a cane. This young man grew up and probably never felt any punishment, other than (GO TO TIMEOUT) or don't make me count to 10. To respect, one needs to fear, No Fear, no respect. The liberals will argue the fear issue... my answer is, would you walk on a rattlesnake? or out around one that is buzzing? There is your answer. Oh! (LarryBee and TomD) are both correct.
Tom - you're thinking of consecutive sentences (one after the other) like biker bandit.
Anyway, this sounds more reasonable. The prior judge (Michelle Leavitt) was definitely pulling a favor for her judge friend, anyone else would have been "made an example of" for such a high profile armed robbery.
I guess the bandit's dad was only able to do so much.......maybe some of the gaming CEO's put some pressure on these clowns (judges) to stop playing around.
This is almost like an episode from the Sopranos - and didn't the biker bandit have mob ties too??? I read the police report and he is quoted as saying he was interested "starting a crew".......might have to wait a bit now.
He didn't just use any gun, he used a gun that was registered to the home where the gun was found. Where was the gun found you might ask? The former Judge's home.
Well, his dad lost the election.
I try to convince myself that Assad was a judge who only wanted to help those that were in front of him by being harsh (whether the approach helped or not is not the issue, rather his intent).
However, that dreaded incident where he locked up a woman wholly unrelated to a case in his Dept just screams out - Tyrant. What authority does a judge have to simply lock someone up after the Court permits the person to make a statement regarding the person's absence. The judge could have simply issued a warrant and or continued the matter to another day. That simple - Unfortunately, Judge Assad took it upon himself to make a statement of his own by placing this woman in custody (she was handcuffed.) If that isn't tyranny I don't know what is.
That kind of conduct is the most grotesque miscarriage of the law - an act so abhorrent in any civil society that people have given up their life fighting against such tyranny.
*shrug*
They say, what goes around comes around - but I don't think it is fair that people gloat at the unfortunate circumstances involving his family and his son. We all have our ups and downs.
So the liberals are responsible for the mindset of robbing the Bellagio? You will notice that a large number of children who were raised with active military parents cannot settle down, focus on an education or keep a consistent track on their life. They grow up distracted and unable to plan.
Children who are raised in strict, law binding environments tend to rebel as they grow older more often then in open, discussion based families. Jim Morrison's father was career Navy, his childhood spent in San Diego.
As the son of a judge, Anthony's father might have been cold, order prone and willing to carry out punishments by letter of the law rather then understanding.
This follows from the fact that laws themselves are not necessarily ethical, moral or fair - they are simply the law and can administered without consideration of their impact when applied over a wide base.
This is similar to a person who feels his actions are above reproach because he is 'Working for America'. Since this is a high level objective, it's trickle down impact on people isn't always important. And trickle down it does..
"What went wrong?" according to Mr. Terry. Basically, a useless father (ex-judge Assad)who continued to support his kid's drug habit when the bandit was 30 years old with a monthly allowance (I discontinued my kids when they became 14) and a reliance on the good old boy network in Las Vegas. Plus giving his drug addicted son access to the Judge's firearms.
Thanks to Judge Villani, who's concerned about public safety and who imposed a consecutive sentence.
Re-Jon Becker. I don't think the jail and prisons are full of military children, looks to me they are all libs who would vote for the empty suit again if they could! All my military children have their phd,s and are doing much better than their non military friends! Military men are there for their children unlike most dumbocrates who feed off the system!!
The oxycodone excuse gets old. This idiot had a money and gambling problem and needed cash. He was unwilling to go about making a living in an honest way. All reports indicate this guy was a fish at the poker table...a perennial loser, but he sure as hell enjoyed the lifestyle.
Why his father had him on an allowance at 30 years of age is beyond me. Reeks of bad parenting. Nothing wrong with helping your children, but this guy spent most of his time in the poker room. His father takes a hit with questionable parenting.
The Bellagio milked this for a ton of free eyeballs. Wouldn't have worked if he was called the Suncoast Bandit.
Glad it's over since not 25 people in the World actually give a hoot about this. Guy robbed two casinos does 10 years, yawn.