US sports betting figure David Oancea, known as Vegas Dave, posted photos and videos from Thailand's Koh Samui after failing to attend a Las Vegas court hearing on August 13.

Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy issued a no-bail bench warrant for Oancea, 49, after he did not appear to be taken into custody over a contempt finding linked to a $30.2 million judgment.

Court order over Mexican properties

Oancea was ordered last July to pay Cabo Platinum, a Mexican vacation rental agency which alleged that he had sabotaged reservations for properties in Mexico.

He was later directed to hand over assets including Hermes Birkin bags, cryptocurrency holdings, a Richard Mille watch valued at $400,000, and three luxury villas in the Los Cabos area. He was meant to comply within two weeks of a hearing last September, but subsequently claimed the properties no longer belonged to him.

District Judge Tara Clark Newberry issued the contempt order on July 17, finding that parts of Oancea's testimony during a six-day evidentiary trial had been false. The order described his conduct as "willful noncompliance".

Judge Newberry gave Oancea two ways to purge the contempt finding: surrender the bags and watch, or cash instead, plus more than $375,000 in cryptocurrency, and sign a power-of-attorney agreement giving Cabo Platinum principal Mishan Andre authority over his interests in the Mexican properties.

Otherwise, he was required to surrender and remain in custody until he complied. His planned August 6 surrender was postponed for a week while the Nevada Supreme Court considered an emergency filing. The court declined to pause the contempt order a day before the rescheduled date.

Posts from Bangkok and Koh Samui

Oancea, who appeared in Showtime's 2019 sports gambling documentary series Action, first posted from Bangkok on Monday. He then shared footage of his arrival at Samui Airport, elaborate meals, private-jet travel and a high-speed boat ride.

In a Tuesday Instagram slideshow for his 9.1 million followers, he posed beside a jet and later at a beachside villa with an illuminated pool. "Ko Samui, Asia is the best," he wrote.

He also filmed a promotional video for an "early bird" package for NFL and college football betting while on a beach, saying: "Send me an email and jump on the money train."

Pictures courtesy of Daily Mall

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28 August 2026

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Good to see he is keeping a low profile god knows how they will find him

Sports betting figure?

Is that what they call bookies nowadays

Vegas is basically built for the same class of tourists as Pattaya but with bigger lines of credit. 💰

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Sports betting figure?

Is that what they call bookies nowadays

Vegas is basically built for the same class of tourists as Pattaya but with bigger lines of credit. 💰

Wonder if he has any tips for the 2.30 at

Cheltenham on Saturday ?

3 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

Good to see he is keeping a low profile god knows how they will find him

Still living the high life, I wonder if he's about to take a fall?

Sounds like a real wiz kid. He is proof that it does not require much intelligence to make money these days, as long as you are willing to drop any pretense about ethics.

Posting online knowing you are wanted by the law? What did he think would happen? Hey everyone, I am here now. Come and get me.

I would not exactly be proud of that nickname. Vegas is not the town it used to be. A tiny step up from Phuket or Pattaya? Maybe. Maybe not.

No problem keeping a low profile while 'on the run from authorities '

catch me if you can mentality. Good luck to him

The higher they rise ...

They can easily find him now and I he will regret posting his trip adventures. Did he really think that nobody monitors social media. He seemed pretty smart with his scamming people, but must have hit his noggin hard once he landed in Thailand. Enjoy your last few days of living the luxury lifestyle you created.

Poor Vegas Dave didn't get the Memo that Thailand is not a hideout for foreign criminals anymore. Local criminals all good, but foreigners can't come and muscle in on the action.

Pretty sure the boys in brown can find him and have this all wrapped up by Lunchtime with the criminal providing clear photographic location assistance.

10 minutes ago, J Branche said:

Pretty sure the boys in brown can find him and have this all wrapped up by Lunchtime

Doesn't this require some kind of Interpol Red Notice or something? No mention of that. But he might also be in Cambodia by now?

46 minutes ago, jcmj said:

They can easily find him now and I he will regret posting his trip adventures. Did he really think that nobody monitors social media. He seemed pretty smart with his scamming people, but must have hit his noggin hard once he landed in Thailand. Enjoy your last few days of living the luxury lifestyle you created.

He forgot the two basic rules of survival.

1. If you're wanted by the law never post your location online.

2. The vast majority of the planet is struggling to survive these days and make ends meet, so going online and bragging about your opulent lifestyle is not a good way to make friends these days, and very few of us are impressed with ignorance, stupidity and bragging.

10 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Doesn't this require some kind of Interpol Red Notice or something? No mention of that. But he might also be in Cambodia by now?

I'm sure the FBI has phoned or contacted the US Embassy in Bangkok and informed the Foreign Crimes Unit who will contact the appropriate Thai agencies to attempt to locate and apprehend the alleged suspect.

I'm definitely no expert on Interpol Red Notices but my limited understanding is they are generally for severe crimes.

AI says that Vegas Dave's crime is a civil offense and Red Notices are prohibited from being given Red Notices.

The US can cancel his passport and notify Thailand who can define Dave as meeting one of the Immigration deportation criteria and apprehend him.

Just now, wavodavo said:

see he is keeping a low profile god knows how they will find him

Who cares about this low life poser ????

14 minutes ago, J Branche said:

I'm sure the FBI has phoned or contacted the US Embassy in Bangkok and informed the Foreign Crimes Unit who will contact the appropriate Thai agencies to attempt to locate and apprehend the alleged suspect.

I believe only if the crime is considered subject to extradition in the requested country in this case Thailand. In other words would the US extradite a Thai living in the US for a similar crime committed in Thailand?

Not a violent criminal, but a rather stupid one to go to online. I doubt that anyone cares much about this story .

5 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

Good to see he is keeping a low profile god knows how they will find him

My thoughts entirely- the authorities will never know where he is or what he is doing

He may be smarter than people think

It will be interesting to see how long he stays on the loose - or is he just another loser?

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

I believe only if the crime is considered subject to extradition in the requested country in this case Thailand. In other words would the US extradite a Thai living in the US for a similar crime committed in Thailand?

If the US Embassy contacts Thailand and informs them Thailand can revoke his Visa and deport him. Notify the US and he could possibly have a LEO sitting close by on the plane with some friendly people willing to assist him after departing the plane in the US.

Not like he is gonna pull a DB cooper or Leonardo DiCaprio move to exit the plane.

1 hour ago, L- Lifeline said:

My thoughts entirely- the authorities will never know where he is or what he is doing

I guess that he believe, that he has bribed all the right people, but chances are that he might have missed at least one!

Sounds like a slime ball and who cares

One would think that his passport would have seized/canceled long before the judgement. I'm guessing money and lawyers allowed him to stay mobile.

19 minutes ago, Xonax said:

I guess that he believe, that he has bribed all the right people, but chances are that he might have missed at least one!

...and that "one" would be all that is needed to grass him out.

6 hours ago, jippytum said:

No problem keeping a low profile while 'on the run from authorities '

catch me if you can mentality. Good luck to him

what if his posts were AI generated with the only purpose to blur the trail, while staying in a country ?
technically feasible today