San Mateo’s District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe is furious after a casino security guard suspected of stealing around $31,000 in cash before attempting to board a flight to the Philippines was released on his own recognizance from jail by a judge.
Prosecutors say John Villareal, 29, worked as a security guard at Artichoke Joe’s Casino in San Bruno until stealing the cash on July 5.
But the San Bruno Police Department caught him while he was attempting to board a flight at San Francisco International Airport.
Villareal of San Francisco had not worked for the casino for long, authorities said, and was traveling with about $10,000—the cash limit one can fly with internationally without declaring anything to customs.
“Here’s a guy who said, ‘I just stole $31,000, I’ve still got $10,000 of it, and I’m going to the Philippines never to return,'” Wagstaffe told The Standard. “He’s charged with three felonies, and we [release] him? That wouldn’t have happened a few years ago and that’s the new modern world, and that’s what happened. So he’s out of custody on his own recognizance. No bail required.”
Just before 9 p.m. last Friday, Villareal asked an attendant at the casino for a key to a lockbox containing $31,000. Instead of bringing the cash to a cashier, he went to the bathroom, stashing the cash in a black duffle bag and tossing the lockbox into a trashcan before returning the key to the attendant.
Realizing the money was never transferred to the cashier, the staff checked the cameras and saw Villareal’s alleged theft on camera before calling the police. By 10 p.m., Villareal was apprehended while in line at security.
Villareal was then jailed on suspicion of employee embezzlement, grand theft, and second-degree burglary. He was released on Monday, according to Wagstaffe.
Artichoke Joe’s Casino declined to comment for this story. In 2021, the casino agreed to pay a penalty of $5.3 million for misleading gambling regulators and violating the Bank Secrecy Act, a federal law intended to combat money laundering.
According to the police report, Villareal gave $16,000 to his cousin, who is not being tried but is a witness in the case. The cousin apparently spent $3,000 of these funds on rent and other bills, and that money has not been returned to the police. The report also states Villareal used roughly $4,000 of the remaining money to pay off debts.
The San Mateo District Attorney has filed felony charges against Villareal for employee embezzlement, grand theft and second-degree burglary.
Update: This story has been updated with new information from the district attorney’s office, clarifying that the amount stolen was $31,000, not $35,000, as previously reported via the San Bruno Police Department.