Robbery cuts into hours and credibility at 24/7 Private Vaults

It was closing time at 24/7 Private Vaults.

That much was obvious even if an employee hadn't confirmed the fact Friday morning at the supposedly secure facility at 3110 E. Sunset Road.

A steady trickle of customers carrying daypacks and duffels entered through the front door and exited a few minutes later. They emptied their boxes, closed their accounts and, according to a worker, received partial refunds on their contracts from owner Elliot Shaikin.

An employee at the front desk declined comment. A few feet away, Shaikin was discussing a contract with a customer. Outside, customers weren't interested in speaking, either.

The hand-drawn sign on the front door informed customers of the new hours 24/7 Vaults was keeping: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. But something tells me Shaikin doesn't plan to change the name of his business to "10 to 4 Private Vaults."

"Mr. Elliot is asking everyone to close out their boxes," an employee said. "He's closing the store."

You know, due to the robbery.

The vault operation, which has touted its confidentiality and untraceable anonymity in local advertising, was the scene of a robbery and kidnapping at 5:15 a.m. on April 14. Metro police say three masked men entered the facility, restrained an employee, then popped open and emptied out an as yet undisclosed number of safe deposit boxes.

In an unintentionally humorous moment, a detective with Metro's Robbery Section is asking for assistance from the anonymous customers of the private vault business. While you might think people who went to all the trouble of paying for private lock boxes would want their prized possessions returned, something tells me not all will be interested in discussing their losses with members of law enforcement.

Color me skeptical, but I can't recall many legitimate reasons a person would want an anonymous lock box with 24-hour access. Gamblers, for instance, have easy access to casino lock boxes.

Perhaps many people are so distrusting of our federally insured banks that they're willing to put their faith in a private vault business flanked by the American Coin Express and Da-Lonnie's Hair & Nail Studio. Maybe its location in an East Sunset Road strip mall inspires confidence in the confidential vault customer.

Maybe. But this is Las Vegas. Things here aren't always what they seem.

Longtime locals, for example, might remember another story involving a private vault business. Back in 1983, Western Vault Corp. at 2929 Maryland Parkway opened and advertised itself as a "24-Hour Safe Deposit Facility" with "state-of-the-art security systems."

That secure feeling changed in January 1987 after a Metro undercover unit discovered nine pounds of cocaine valued at $700,000 and $300,000 in bank traveler's checks were missing from the box they'd rented. The drugs and checks were used as a "flash roll" for detectives posing as cocaine dealers.

Once the story hit the newspapers, Western Vault customers reported $2.2 million in cash and jewelry missing from their lock boxes. While the police case focused on Western Vault's owner, Grady Sanders, his defense attorney Dominic Gentile accused Metro detectives of taking the drugs and traveler's checks. The slippery Sanders, an FBI informant, was eventually indicted on 11 felony charges. He was acquitted in 1989 after a two-week jury trial, but decided to get out of the private vault business.

Although a controversial local polygraph examiner cleared the cops, who were never charged, the accusations shattered the already tumultuous relationship between Metro and the FBI. It took years to repair.

Back then, investigators found a number of the boxes at Western Vault were leased by tax-dodging gamblers, drug dealers, and other suspected ne'er-do-wells. Maybe it was just a rumor, but I heard there were some legitimate customers, too.

Fast forward to Friday morning. It was closing time at 24/7 Vaults, which was recently victimized by a trio of masked men. While it's entirely possible the robbery was as advertised, I'll withhold judgment for now.

After all, this is Las Vegas, where things aren't always as they seem.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.