This week, the Calgary Police Service announced that it has located and charged the man allegedly responsible for the robbery of several casinos in the city. The perpetrator is the 62-year-old Richard James Buckmire, who will now face five counts of robbery with a restricted or prohibited firearm and three counts of wearing a disguise with intent.
According to a press release from the Calgary Police Service the man is also connected with several other casino robberies in the city. Including the break-in at the Cash Casino at 4040 Blackfoot Trail S.E. in September 2022. The Police also tied the culprit to a robbery at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino located at 11500 35 Street S.E. which occurred last month.
Responding to a February 15th Call
Mr. Buckmire was captured after on February 15, 2023, the police received a signal that an unknown man has entered a casino and claimed that he had a firearm on him and demanded cash from the casino’s staff. It was reported that the man escaped the site with an undisclosed amount of cash and it was revealed that no injuries were inflicted on casino staff.
After the signal, a police helicopter located the suspect’s vehicle parked outside of the Deerfoot City Mall, where officers claimed that the man has changed his attire prior to leaving the parking lot. Police shared they saw the man heading to the Huntington Hills area, where officers and canine units conducted a traffic stop at the 500 block of McKnight Boulevard N.E.
According to the CPS report, Mr. Buckmire was arrested at 12:35 a.m. He is also allegedly connected to the robberies of Cash Casino in September last year and the one at Deerfoot Inn and Casino last month. He has been charged with five counts of robbery with a restricted or prohibited firearm and three counts of wearing a disguise with intent.
The culprit is scheduled to appear in court and undergo trial on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Lastly, the Calgary police department is urging anyone who can provide a piece of additional information on the case to contact them via the CPS non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can also be filed through the Crime Stopper website.
Casino Relocation Matter
Meanwhile, more recent news new from Alberta includes the province’s dealing with the potential relocation of Camrose Casino Resort. Last fall, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission denied Capital City Casinos’ proposal to move the gaming amenity on 3201 48th Avenue in Camrose to a 5,600-square-metre complex at 420 Parsons Road SW in Edmonton. Edmontonians from the area were also against it.
However, recently County of Barrhead councillors have declared their support for the relocation of the gaming property. The councillors even sent a letter to the AGLC requesting it to reconsider its decision and allow the move. Meanwhile, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta are also in favour of the request, as it would increase the pot for the Camrose region and Alberta.
Source: Tran, Paula “Calgary police charge man after string of casino robberies” Global News, February 21, 2023
