Resorts World New York City Security Guard Busted for Planned Casino Heist

Posted on: April 22, 2022, 05:45h. 

Last updated on: April 22, 2022, 01:06h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

FBI agents arrested a Resorts World New York City security guard Wednesday for plotting a heist at the casino on the following day.

Selwyn Balkissoon
Balkissoon planned to snatch bags of cash from armored trucks outside Resorts World New York City, pictured above. (Image: NYT)

In March, Selwyn Balkissoon of Ozone Park, Queens, recruited a would-be accomplice for his scheme. Unfortunately for Balkissoon, he was an FBI confidenial informant. The informant then allowed the feds to tap his phone.

In subsequent recorded conversations, federal prosecutors said Thursday that Balkissoon laid out his plans to rob an armored truck at the Genting-owned casino, which adjoins the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.

Look how easy it is, if you pull up next to him. He don’t even know that you pull up next to him,” Balkissoon is recorded as saying. “You pull that door, you blast his a**, and within 30 seconds time you take eight or ten of them bags.

“All you need is minutes, open the door, spray his a**, slam to the ground, and boom, when you pull up with your trunk open one time, boom, boom, boom, back up, take the f**k off,” Balkissoon explained. “If you want, go down the Conduit, you know the Conduit? Take the Belt Parkway and just f**king disappear.”

‘Sitting Ducks’

Balkissoon’s goal was to grab at least five bags of cash, each purportedly containing $260,000. To maximize the haul, Balkissoon asked the informant to recruit another accomplice, which he did. But unknown to Balkissoon, the new member of the gang was also an undercover FBI agent.

On April 14, the confidential informant and the undercover agent picked Balkissoon up at his home, and the trio drove to Resorts World to surveil the property.

This is 99 to 100 percent doable. In [and] out, in no more than f**king 20 seconds,” he said. “Slam, bam, thank you ma’am…get five bags,” Balkissoon allegedly told his companions.

“You know, they are all f–king sitting ducks. They’re lame f–king guys, they’re just there for the money, and they don’t give a f–k who take what and gone with it,” he added, referring to his colleagues in Resorts World’s security department.

Pepper Spray

On April 20, during another recorded call between Balkisson and the informant, it was agreed the robbery would take place the following morning, and the money would be shared between the three individuals. Balkissoon said he would procure pepper spray for use in the robbery.

That evening, the informant drove to Balkissoon’s Ozone Park home, according to court filings. When Balkissoon handed him the pepper spray, FBI agents moved in and placed him under arrest.

Balkissoon appeared in a Brooklyn federal courtroom yesterday, the day of the planned robbery. He was released on a $100,000 bond and is on home detention with electronic monitoring.