Bellagio robbery defendant found not competent to stand trial
The Kansas felon charged in the summer robberies of the Bellagio casino and a Las Vegas bank was found not competent to stand trial Friday.
Scott Carmitchel, 34, was ordered to be taken in federal custody to a hospital for four months of mental health treatment and another psychological examination.
His trial, which had been scheduled for this month, was postponed indefinitely.
U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II set a March 3 status check in the case.
In August, a federal magistrate judge had to enter a not guilty plea for Carmitchel after he was nonresponsive in court.
Carmitchel refused to answer questions several times, laughing loudly through a spit mask as he sat shackled in a wheelchair next to his public defender.
His trial had been postponed while he underwent a court-ordered mental evaluation.
On Friday, Carmitchel was shackled at the defense table but not wearing a spit mask. He did, however, laugh out loud for no apparent reason several times as he sat next to his lawyer waiting for Boulware to take the bench.
Carmitchel, who is accused of spending stolen money on prostitutes and a shopping spree, is facing one count of interference with commerce by robbery at the Bellagio and one count of armed bank robbery at a City National Bank branch on East Tropicana Avenue.
He’s accused of stealing $43,500 in the Bellagio heist on July 25 and $4,355 in the July 22 bank robbery.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ.
