Former Metro sergeant accused of stealing thousands in massage parlor operations - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas

[KTNV Staff]

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police sergeant is facing felony theft and oppression under color of office charges after he allegedly stole thousands of dollars in massage parlor raids.

Sgt. Sean Lucero had worked for LVMPD since 1999 and took over as sergeant of the department’s Vice Section in May 2023. He retired in August of this year.

An arrest warrant says information about Lucero’s alleged illegal activities was first brought to Metro’s attention by sources in March 2024. This prompted an investigation into Lucero allegedly stealing thousands of dollars while on the job during undercover massage parlor operations.

The arrest warrant cites specific instances in May 2024. On May 3, the warrant states a stack of cash went missing before a search warrant was obtained for a massage parlor. And on May 23, a spa employee claimed her wallet was missing before a search warrant was obtained for that spa.

Detectives said they interviewed several subjects involved in the investigation — including Lucero himself — and they all said Lucero showed a “concerted interest in massage parlor operations and even rebuffed his detective’s efforts to conduct other types of enforcement on a more frequent basis."

It was noted in the arrest warrant that under Lucero, Metro’s Vice Section increased their massage parlor operations in the 13 months of his command compared to the last 17 months before his transfer. In total, Lucero’s squad conducted 79 massage parlor operations.

Furthermore, the arrest warrant states investigators reviewed Lucero’s financial records and discovered 70 ATM cash deposits from January 2022 to July 2024. More than half of these deposits were entered either the day of or within a few days of an undercover massage parlor operation, investigators noted.

Documents state approximately $85,960 was deposited among the 70 ATM cash deposits — 35 of which were during Lucero's time in Vice — totaling around $37,160.

When detectives interviewed Lucero, he offered “several vague, sometimes unintelligible explanations (often conflicting with his earlier statements) before claiming he got cash when he needed it from his business partner Edgar Jimenez."

Investigators said they also interviewed Jimenez, and he denied ever giving Lucero cash.

Later on in Lucero’s interview, documents state, “Lucero affirmatively nodded his head, indicating yes he did steal money from massage parlors.” He said he was under a lot of stress and felt like somebody owed him something.

Lucero admitted to stealing around $10,000, according to the warrant.