Man Apprehended for Stealing a $500,000 McLaren from Crown Melbourne

10:38
07 Jun

Crown Resorts is currently dealing with several legal issues but will soon add another. According to Australia’s 9News, the casino operator is facing a lawsuit after the theft of a McLaren sports vehicle from its Crown Melbourne facility.

Johnny Nahlous was all set for a night of opulence earlier this week. He drove to Crown Melbourne in a McLaren 570S and enjoyed the casino's gaming activities and facilities until he was ready to depart the following day. However, the sports car wasn't there when he went to the parking lot.

The valet informed Nahlous that someone had taken the AU$500,000 (US$354,200) automobile at 3 a.m., reportedly with the documents to persuade the staff. Even though Nahlous still had the valet receipt in his hands.

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Locating the car

Both Nahlous and Crown made a call to the police. Luckily the authorities were able to ascertain the location of the McLaren with the assistance of Honeymoon Car Hire, which was the company from whom Nahlous had booked the car.

Police pulled over the car soon afterward, with Nahlous following behind. They arrested a 43-year-old man who they believe was the culprit and charged him with car theft. The anonymous individual was released on bond and will appear in court on October 17 to determine his fate.

Nevertheless, it is not the conclusion of the tale. The thief severely damaged the vehicle in spite of the fact that he only had control of it for a brief period. Honeymoon has found damage to the inside and the engine, and they want Crown to pay for it. It is mulling over whether or not to file a lawsuit to pay for the damages.

Simultaneously, doubts surfaced over how the suspected thief committed the crime. Investigating how the Crown employee could have negligently handed over the fancy car while Nahlous still had the valet receipt is ongoing.

A car hire company is threatening legal action against Crown, claiming a valet worker handed a thief the keys to a $500,000 McLaren.

A police investigation is now underway. @ajhegarty9#9Newspic.twitter.com/pidAjM3uRZ

— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) May 23, 2022

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Not the first incident

However, it's not the first time a high-end car has mysteriously vanished from Crown Melbourne. Fortunately, this rarely happens.

In 2010, Adam Ramsay allegedly stole a Ferrari F430 Spider from the parking lot utilizing the identical method of operation. As per Drive magazine.

The drama continues from there, becoming even more thrilling than the McLaren escapade. Ramsay then drove the car to a neighboring police station. As part of his release for a prior offense, he reported to the police. After checking in, he exited the station, got into the Ferrari, and drove away.

Nevertheless, his getaway was cut short with the crime on the police radar. At 6:30 a.m. the same day, cops found him when he was filling up his car at a petrol station. They swiftly placed him in handcuffs.

The McLaren robber may now know what awaits him when he goes to court in October. The court sentenced Ramsay to four months in prison for his crime. However, this concurrent sentence ran concurrently with a lengthier 35-month sentence for additional offenses.