HENDERSON (KTNV) — A Las Vegas company says they were the victims of an unusual crime that involved thousands of dollars worth of entertainment equipment, a limousine and a rented truck.
AV Las Vegas says they've been silenced by the pandemic as live entertainment and the associated support business plus rentals for lights, stages, and sound equipment were paused.
"We are a rental company," explained Ty Hansen, vice-president at AV Las Vegas.
"Most of our work, at least pre-COVID, was delivering equipment to venues around Las Vegas, convention centers, things of that sort."
Hansen says earlier this week, a request to rent several times came in from what appeared to be a legitimate company.
The request included DJ equipment, wireless mics, several speakers and assorted items.
The rental bill came to $1,800.
Hansen says his employees delivered the equipment to a location in Henderson near Eastern Avenue and Sunridge Heights Parkway.
Everything seemed to check out and the drivers unloaded the gear and drove off.
But as soon as the truck was out of sight people grew suspicious of the couple that had just received the items.
"As soon as we left, the people who rented the equipment from us uncased all of the equipment, they pulled everything out, they hired a limousine to pick them up, and they threw all the equipment in the back of the limousine," explained Hansen.
Hansen says even the limo driver grew suspicious as he drove the pair in the limo full of expensive sound equipment to a storage facility on Volunteer Boulevard, also in Henderson.
Hansen says the limo driver called AV Las Vegas because their logos and number are plastered all over the equipment to inform him of what was going on.
Hensen tells 13 Investigates the limo driver tailed the rental truck but lost sight of it as it crossed over the California border on Interstate 15.
"I know there's a lot of crimes out there to deal with but I think that there's value in attacking the small fish because they become the big fish down the road," explained Hansen.
AV Las Vegas filed a report with Henderson Police Department and also posted on social media about the Henderson heist.
The Facebook post has been shared more than 70 times and reached 100,000 people.
Hansen says he has heard from several other production companies in other states who are reporting similar theft schemes.
13 Investigates reached out to Henderson Police Department on Friday and are waiting on a response.
