The casino cashier said she didn’t believe Cameron Kennedy was a Black man because his skin appeared “blotchy.” (Image courtesy of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
A Las Vegas man accused of using dark makeup to cover his face during a robbery of a strip casino has finally been charged.
Cameron James Kennedy, 26, was charged Friday in the armed stickup of a casino cage at New York-New York, according to federal court documents obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Kennedy robbed the casino on Jan. 10.
Las Vegas police said Kennedy, who’s already spent time in prison and was on supervised release, used makeup to appear African-American. The casino cashier told authorities she didn’t believe the man was really Black because his skin tone was “off” and appeared a bit “blotchy.”
According to a criminal complaint, Kennedy showed the cashier a handgun that was tucked in his waistband and demanded the cash.
“I want all your hundreds, and don’t mess around,” he told the cashier before fleeing in a taxi with over $23,000, according to the complaint. After the robbery, Kennedy reportedly bought a $1,500 gold bracelet, money orders for more than $1,800 and a $1,000 prepaid debit card in somebody else’s name.
Authorities eventually caught up with the ex-con, thanks to an anonymous tipster who identified Kennedy as the suspect in the robbery. Another witness told police Kennedy stopped by an apartment after the holdup and that his face “appeared darker than usual as though he’d wiped something off his skin,” the complaint read.
He was arrested on Jan. 25.
Kennedy’s first prison stint stems from a pair of robberies he confessed to committing in 2012, the Journal-Review reported. He was released in June but found himself back in custody after trying to cash an altered check.
Kennedy faces up to 20 years in prison for his most recent crime. He’s due back in court for a hearing on March 26.
