A Las Vegas police officer accused of working with his wife in a fraud operation targeting stores and credit card companies has been released without having to post the $100,000 cash bail prosecutors requested.
Antonio Chavez, 28, appeared in court on September 10 after being arrested the previous day. A criminal complaint accuses Chavez and his wife, Claudia Guzman-Marquez, of conspiring in a fraud operation connected to California and using the scheme for personal financial gain.
Chavez faces one theft charge involving between $25,000 and $100,000, four counts of burglary of a business and one count of perjury. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said he has worked for the department since 2020 and was assigned to the Community Safety Division at Northwest Area Command.
FOX5 reported that prosecutors described Chavez as a willing participant in the alleged fraud and argued that his position as a police officer made the accusations particularly concerning because he knew the laws he is accused of breaking.
The Complaint Accuses the Couple of Targeting Businesses and Card Companies
The criminal complaint accuses Chavez of conspiring with Guzman-Marquez in an operation that defrauded retail businesses and credit card companies for the couple’s personal financial benefit.
Chavez’s four burglary charges involve businesses, while the theft charge covers an alleged amount between $25,000 and $100,000. He also faces one count of perjury.
The public reporting does not yet identify the stores involved, provide the individual transaction amounts or explain exactly how the credit card portion of the alleged operation worked.
Prosecutors Asked for $100,000 Cash Bail
At Chavez’s September 10 court appearance, prosecutors asked the judge to impose $100,000 cash bail, require a hearing to establish that any bail money came from a legitimate source and place him on house arrest.
Prosecutors emphasized Chavez’s law enforcement background and argued that he knew the law while participating in the conduct described in the complaint. FOX5 reported that prosecutors also told the court Chavez had admitted knowingly breaking the law.
The defense opposed monetary bail, citing Chavez’s lack of a criminal record, no previous failures to appear, ties to Nevada and cooperation with investigators. His attorneys also emphasized that the criminal allegations have not been proven.
The Judge Ordered GPS Monitoring Instead
The judge declined to require Chavez to post cash before his release. She noted that the charges are nonviolent while describing the allegations against a police officer as personally offensive.
Chavez was ordered onto electronic monitoring and restricted to Clark County while the case proceeds. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 8 at 10 a.m.
Guzman-Marquez, who FOX5 reported is six months pregnant, received the same type of GPS monitoring. She is identified as Chavez’s wife and co-defendant in the case.
LVMPD Suspended Chavez Without Pay
Chavez was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on September 9. LVMPD listed the theft charge, four burglary of a business counts and perjury charge in its official arrest announcement.
The department also suspended Chavez’s police powers without pay pending further investigation. He has been employed by LVMPD since 2020.
The criminal complaint contains accusations that have not been proven in court. Chavez and Guzman-Marquez are presumed innocent unless they plead guilty or are convicted.
What to Do if You See a Credit Card Charge You Don’t Recognize
The public reporting in this case does not detail whether individual cardholders were responsible for any of the disputed transactions, but consumers who discover unfamiliar activity on their own credit card should contact the issuer promptly.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises cardholders to call the credit card company as soon as they notice a charge they believe is incorrect or unauthorized. To preserve federal billing-error rights, consumers should also send a written notice to the issuer within 60 calendar days after the disputed charge first appears on the statement.
Cardholders should keep copies of the written dispute and records of follow-up calls while the issuer investigates. The CFPB also recommends monitoring account activity for unfamiliar charges because stolen card information can sometimes be used even when the physical card remains in the owner’s possession.