A man from Sacramento, California, has recently filed a lawsuit against both the Tropicana Las Vegas hotel-casino and popular ride-sharing service, Uber, following a brutal robbery during which he was relieved of more than $1 million in high-end watches and seriously injured in the process.
The man, Raimond Irimescu, together with his father Paul, runs a business that specializes in trading luxury second-hand timepieces. They operate under the name of Paul’s Watch Repair, based in Sacramento.
In October 2021 Irimescu had travelled to Las Vegas to participate in the International Watch & Jewelry Guild expo held at the Tropicana. On October 19, whilst sitting in an Uber vehicle in the Tropicana’s forecourt, Irimescu was ambushed.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Clark County District Court, a white minivan and a gray SUV intentionally blocked the Uber vehicle. Following this, around four individuals dressed totally in black and masked emerged from the vehicles and proceeded to break the windows of the Uber vehicle to gain access to Irimescu.
The documents submitted to the court detail a vicious attack that led to severe injuries. After assaulting Irimescu, the attackers made off with two luggage bags and a backpack filled with Irimescu’s watches that he had on display at the expo.
The lawsuit levels serious charges at the Tropicana. The hotel-casino is accused of not taking adequate security measures for an event that was potentially an attractive target for criminals. The lawsuit maintains that the Tropicana did not staff security sufficiently and failed to adequately enforce security measures during the show. It also allegedly did not furnish a secure environment for the plaintiff.
As far as ride-sharing service Uber is concerned, the lawsuit claims that the company and its driver failed in their responsibility to provide a secure environment for customers. The plaintiff alleges that Uber was negligent in its inability to anticipate the potential risks associated with the trade show and that Uber does not instruct its employees well enough in safeguarding passengers or conduct proper background checks on its drivers.
No comment has been forthcoming from the owner of the Tropicana, Bally’s Corp, or from Uber regarding the case. Bally’s Corp had communicated to its staff in May of this year that it projected the closure of the Trop in the next two years, a move that would facilitate the construction of a new $395 million stadium for Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics, subject to approval. This would involve the demolition of the current casino complex.
