A Las Vegas business owner, Erwin Lanada, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fake armed robbery at his cell phone repair store, CPR Cellphone Repair, to defraud his insurance company. On October 25, 2023, Lanada hired Marco Antonio Capistran, providing him with a revolver for the staged robbery, which occurred the next day. During the event, Capistran threatened Lanada at gunpoint, demanded electronics and cash, and tied him up before fleeing.
After the fake robbery, on October 28, 2023, Lanada submitted fraudulent insurance claims for property loss and lost income, ultimately receiving checks totaling about $88,611.23 from the insurance company in December 2023.
Lanada has pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for January 5, 2027. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
