The crime thriller “Ocean’s Eleven” inspired a bizarre $1.5 million casino heist — pulled off by a wacky security guard using a BB gun.
Rolando Ramos was no Danny Ocean, the leader of the movie mob, played by George Clooney — and sources marvel that he was able to snatch the loot.
“Ramos is about as far removed from Clooney as you can get. He’s a wimpy, nerdy guy who makes dumb jokes,” his attorney, Richard Briones-Colman, told The ENQUIRER.
But Ramos was still able to make off with $1.5 million after robbing the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, Calif., where he worked as a guard.
“He was more amazed than anyone that he actually pulled it off,” said his attorney. Ramos, 27, enlisted the aid of Eric Aguilera, 25, who also worked in security at the casino, according to Briones-Colman.
“They weren’t getting paid very much, and every day they saw all this money passing through.”
Incredibly, Ramos watched “Ocean’s Eleven” about 50 times. “He watched it to work up the nerve to do it,” said Briones-Colman.
In the 2001 caper, Clooney enlists his pals to rob three Las Vegas casinos of $150 million.
On Aug. 2, 2007, Ramos tried to imitate his movie hero. He showed up at the casino at 4 a.m. while Aguilera waited outside in a getaway car.
Prosecutor Lori Ronce said Ramos, armed with a BB gun, went into the casino’s surveillance room where he taped a man and a woman back to back against a pole. Then in a cheap imitation of the suave actor, he kissed the woman and told her: “I always liked you.”
“He kissed her because he thought it was something Clooney would have done,” said Briones-Colman.
Still under the spell of the movie, Ramos marched to the casino’s vault, where five workers were counting cash, according to the attorney.
“When he first entered the vault, he said he was there to fix one of the surveillance cameras. He jumped on a table and asked: ‘Want to watch me in action?’”
Then he got off the table, pulled his BB gun and ordered the vault workers and two other guards to get away from the money, said Briones-Colman.
Ramos filled a 4-foot duffle bag with $100 bills. “When he got outside, there were these 3-foot-high concrete barriers to keep traffic away from the building,” continued the attorney.
“He can’t get the bag over them, so he pulls it between two of them – and almost gets it stuck.”
Ramos struggled and was finally able to jump into the getaway car and escape – but not for long. The hapless security guard was nabbed within just 24 hours – thanks to his own stupidity. “He was using his cell phone, and the police were able to pinpoint his exact location,” said Briones-Colman.
Authorities found Ramos in a cheap motel room, also nailed Aguilera, and recovered almost all the loot.
On July 1, 2009, Ramos was found guilty of robbing the casino, and Aguilera was found guilty of aiding and abetting. They are due to be sentenced Aug. 21 – and face up to 20 years in prison.
