Man detained after alleged robberies of Silver Reef Casino, others in WA

A 32-year-old Federal Way resident was detained Thursday and charged with robbery and attempted robbery of three casinos, including one in Ferndale, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Edgar Oswaldo Gonzalez Barragan of Mexico was detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac and charged with the robbery and attempted robbery of three casinos and a Shoreline bank branch in August 2025. He was arrested by Kent Police after attempting to rob the bank on Aug. 11, but probable cause was not filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington until Nov. 6.

Court documents obtained by the Herald allege that Gonzalez Barragan attempted to rob the Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Tulalip on Aug. 1. He went to the cashier’s cage, pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot guests, according to records. The cashier refused and pressed the panic button, and Gonzalez Barragan left the casino.

Two days later, Gonzalez Barragan committed an armed robbery of the Silver Reef Casino on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation in Ferndale. He again threatened a cashier with a revolver, and was given about $18,000 in cash.

Gonzalez Barragan then tried to rob the Little Creek Casino in Shelton on Aug. 9. After a cashier said there was no cash in the till, he ran from the casino on foot. Later that day, he allegedly stole the jaws of life – worth about $12,000 – from a Riverside Fire Authority fire truck.

Kent Police were able to identify Gonzalez Barragan by the car he used to commit the robberies, as well as surveillance footage.

Finally, on Aug. 11, Gonzalez Barragan went to a U.S. Bank in Shoreline and told a teller, “give me the money,” according to court records. The teller described a “thunk” hitting the counter, causing him to believe Gonzalez Barragan had a weapon.

The teller gave Gonzalez Barragan $1,500, who said “sorry about that” before taking the money and leaving. Police officers located him in his car later and pulled him over, court documents state. Two cell phones fell to the ground when he got out of the vehicle.

Gonzalez Barragan told police that he had swallowed an “unknown drug substance,” and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. While there, officers discovered makeup covering up tattoos on Gonzalez Barragan’s left arm and neck.

What evidence shows

When the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Centralia Police Department searched Gonzalez Barragan’s car, they found concealer, a cell phone, a Taurus G3 handgun and the clothing Gonzalez Barragan wore during the attempted robbery of the Little Creek Casino and theft of the jaws of life.

The firearm did not appear to be the same one caught on surveillance footage in the casinos.

The FBI later got a warrant to search Gonzalez Barragan’s three phones. They found location data showing him in the vicinity of each robbery and attempted robbery when they occurred, according to court documents. Other locations, including several fire stations throughout western Washington and an Anacortes casino were saved to or searched by his phone.

Nearly 300 messages between Gonzalez Barragan and his girlfriend were uncovered in the search, including one sent by Gonzalez Barragan on Aug. 7 which said “I’m really close to making us a whole bunch of money.”

Texts exchanged with another person referenced methamphetamine, money and guns. A third conversation reported in court documents showed an individual asking Gonzalez Barragan for money he allegedly owed him.

Investigators also found questions about banks, cashier’s checks, casinos and “apps to change my voice” in Gonzalez Barragan’s search history from Aug. 4-5.

The evidence led investigators to charge Gonzalez Barragan with two counts of attempted robbery and two counts of robbery. On Nov. 7, a request for detention was filed in federal court.