Warrant issued for millionaire accused of writing $1.5M in bad checks to Bellagio

An arrest warrant has been reissued for a Massachusetts millionaire who failed to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he wrote two bad checks to Bellagio totalling $1.5 million.

Daniel Cosgrove Burrell was scheduled to appear before Judge Cynthia Cruz in Las Vegas Justice Court. A status check hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 21.

Burrell’s Las Vegas attorney, Andrew Fritz, declined comment on the case.

According to Justice Court documents, on Feb. 12, 2023, Burrell wrote checks of $1 million and $500,000 for cash and chips at Bellagio. The casino later discovered the Century Bank account the checks had been written on had been closed.

In May 2024, Clark County Deputy District Attorney Charles Thoman filed a three-count criminal complaint accusing Burrell of passing a check without sufficient funds with intent to defraud, obtaining money under false pretenses and theft.

Thoman attempted to reach Burrell by certified mail and after not receiving a response, an arrest warrant was issued.

Burrell was arrested in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Sept. 20, a day after his Nantucket mansion was sold for $12.5 million in a foreclosure auction. After spending a day in the Nantucket Police Department jail, Burrell was released on $10,000 bail.

Burrell was founder of The Burrell Group, an Aspen, Colorado company that manages a diverse portfolio of holdings in real estate, natural resources, aviation and medical colleges.

Pitkin County, Colorado, where Aspen is located, also had filed warrants for Burrell’s arrest for allegedly defaulting on more than $75 million in bank loans he used to make divorce payments, buy a yacht, and purchase luxury homes.

Burrell once served as a senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. and Secretary of State John Kerry during his presidential campaign in 2004. He was a member of the Domestic Policy Council from 2000-2001 under President Bill Clinton.

According to various media accounts, Burrell has been sued by several banks over the past two years with claims totalling more than $72 million.

An Aspen mansion was sold in an online foreclosure auction for $24.6 million earlier this year to resolve the Pitkin County matter.

Representatives of MGM Resorts International, which operates Bellagio, did not immediately respond to an email inquiry about the case or about Burrell on Thursday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.