Four former employees of the Vegas Hotel have been sentenced for a brazen robbery on the Kings Cross pub in mid-2013.
CCTV caught the dramatic break-in and heist – all staged to draw attention from the four employees’ identities. Their faces covered, Adam Elshaimy and Ammar Chahal were seen smashing through the glass entry to the venue, tying up a co-worker, and filling a bag with around one-hundred thousand dollars, before escaping in a car driven by brother, Islam Elshaimy.
The trio had apparently been planning the performance for several weeks, and with the help of fellow mastermind Mandouh Chahal had hopes of an encore a few months later, presumably when everyone had forgotten.
But in true criminal mastermind fashion, a photo posted to social media of a man lounging on a couch amid piles of money led to their arrest.
“Taking that photograph ranks high in the acts of criminal stupidity that come before this courtroom,” said the judge at the hearing.
Brothers Adam and Islam Elshaimy were sentenced to four years-six months and three years-nine months (respectively) and Ammar Chahal to two years-three months. Mandouh Chahal is seeking to serve his sentence outside of prison.
