Venetian Las Vegas Sued by Widow Over Death Involving Sex Worker

Posted on: March 10, 2025, 07:03h. 

Last updated on: March 11, 2025, 09:22h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Venetian Las Vegas sued for wrongful death by widow after husband’s fatal fentanyl overdose
  • Victim was robbed by a sex worker who later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is now in prison
  • The lawsuit claims the casino failed to protect guests from known criminals operating on its premises

The widow of a Colorado man who died after being given a deadly dose of fentanyl in a hotel room at the Venetian’s Pallazzo is suing the casino for wrongful death.

Jeffrey Jacoby, Cheylee Kessee, Kashon Glass, Venetian, Pallazzo, lawsuit
Kashon Glass, left, and Cheylee Kessee were wanted for a string of robberies before they were arrested by a SWAT team at a motel close to the Strip. Numerous charges were dropped when they agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with Jeffrey Jacoby’s death. (Image: Las Vegas Metro Police)

The plaintiff is Jennifer Jacoby whose husband, Jeffrey Jacoby, was robbed and left for dead by Cheylee Kessee, a sex worker, in March 2023. Initially charged with murder, Kessee ultimately pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and robbery, and is serving 20 years in prison.

Kessee was working in tandem with a man named Kashon Glass, who was later described in court documents as her pimp. Glass was sentenced to 50 years in prison on the same charges.

The pair faced numerous other charges related to other alleged crimes, including robbery and kidnapping with a deadly weapon, but agreed to plead guilty in return for those charges to be dropped.

‘History of Robbery’

The lawsuit claims that security guards at the Palazzo, the luxury hotel within the Venetian, should have alerted Jacoby that he was being followed by Glass, and they should have recognized the pair because they had a history of targeting hotel guests for robbery.

The victim, 55, was visiting Las Vegas for a conference. He met Kessee at a bar at the Venetian just after 1 a.m. on March 1, according to the lawsuit.

He and Kessee “walked around” the casino floor for around 40 minutes, as Glass followed at a distance. Kessee and Glass shared text messages about Jacoby’s actions and robbing him, the complaint states.

Jacoby withdrew $1K from the cashier’s cage and Kessee accompanied him to his hotel room at around 2:30 a.m., per the filing. She left the room about eight minutes later.

The plaintiff called the hotel sometime later to request a welfare check on her husband because she hadn’t heard from him.

Hotel staff found Jacoby “unresponsive, slumped on the bathroom floor,” per the complaint.

SWAT Team Standoff

A month earlier, Kelsee was alleged to have picked up a victim in a U-Haul cargo van, rented by Glass.

According to a Las Vegas Metro Police report, Kelsee told the victim she was a prostitute and offered a “full service” for $250. But the victim didn’t know what that meant and instead offered her $30 to drive him to Santa Fe station.

On the way, the van stopped to pick up Glass who robbed the victim of $97.51 after pointing a gun against his ribcage, according to the report. Glass also slapped the victim and stole his cell phone, Metro Police alleged.

Kessee and Glass were ultimately arrested in August 2023, after they allegedly robbed the owner of a motel close to the Strip. Two days after the incident, they were spotted by law enforcement at a different motel.

Realizing their predicament, they barricaded themselves in their room. Metro Police SWAT units responded to the scene and arrested them after a four-hour standoff.