A member of a notorious street gang has been arrested and charged in the armed robbery of a safe containing $1million in cash and poker chips belonging to highstakes pro and staker Chad Power…
Brock Brewer arrested in Las Vegas
Police arrested 32-year-old Las Vegas resident Brock Brewer more than two months after the February 10thdaylight theft from Chad Power’s home in Henderson, Nevada.
Chad Power believes he was followed home from the casino and the robbers then waited until he left again before carrying out the afternoon raid, two men captured on surveillance TV making off with the safe.
The highstakes pro reportedly told police the safe contained, “approximately $750,000 in cash in $100 bill denominations, mostly organized into $50,000 bricks.”
There was also “approximately $250,000 in high-value poker chips, including ten $25k chips from the Aria Hotel & Casino,” in the stolen safe.
Remarkably the men, one of who was armed with a handgun, were not wearing masks as they left Power’s home, police stating: “Both suspects had lowered/removed their facemasks at this point and their faces were visible.”
This naturally helped police to identify the suspects, with a Henderson detective looking at previous robberies in the area linked to victims who frequented casinos.
Brewer was a suspect in one case that saw $15,000 stolen in a similar raid, and the CCTV from Chad Power’s home matched Brewer and his known gang associate Trevaghn Battle.
Both men are members of the New Born Crips gang, with Brewer known by the nickname“C-Rida” according to police reports.
The Crips gangs are known for their long-running feud with rival gang, the ‘Bloods’, and also for wearing blue. The suspect’s blue New Balance sweatpants are believed to have made identification easier through their gang affiliation connection.
Stolen money spent on new cars?
Upon tracking Brewer down to his Spring Valley home, police conducted a search under warrant and found a 2021 plate Dodge Charger Hellcat.
Though registered to his mother, checks on the car found it to have been bought “with $30,000 cash down payment” just days after the robbery.
A second car registered to Brewer’s mother – this time a 2018 Maserati Levante SUV -was also found which had been bought “with $60,000 paid in full cash payment in Arizona.”
Police stated: “Due to the high dollar amounts of money stolen in this case on 2/10/21 and these vehicles being purchased with large cash payments/down payments recently after the theft, it is believed these vehicles were purchased with the stolen money from this case.”
Several firearms were also found at the property and Brewer, a convicted felon with previous for robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and attempted battery with substantial bodily harm, was arrested.
He has been charged with multiple felonies, including theft of $100,000 or greater, conspiracy and home invasion and will face a preliminary hearing on June 1statHenderson Justice Court.
Chad Power not the first victim of home invasion
Home invasion robberies are thankfully rare, but poker pros are always going to be susceptible to such incidents, and it’s not always street thugs and criminals behind them.
Two years ago we reported on the gunpoint robbery of four-time WPT champion Darren Elias’ home.
Elias and his wife were out, but their two-year-old daughter and 19-year-old babysitter were at home, the robber leading the babysitter around the house at gunpoint while searching for cash and other valuables.
Thankfully no one was hurt, but it turned out to be a fellow poker player carrying out the crime, 24-year-old part-time poker pro Shannon Soroka (pictured below) arrested the next day, again having been caught on CCTV.
Elias told NBC10 news:“It’s incredibly scary for me and my family. It was an awful feeling. I would say he was familiar with what I do for a living and thought that I might have things of value in the house.”
Soroka was charged with ‘robbery, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, unlawful possession of a weapon, criminal mischief and related offenses’ and was later sentenced to 13 years in prison for the offences.
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, please visit www.begambleaware.org
