The Westin Hotel & Resort Houston has become an international hotspot for those seeking to dine in luxury on a budget.
And it has been, at times, a popular place to drape a white-collar crime syndicate, especially as it emerged from the depths of the financial crisis.
While the Westin is not known for its lavish dining options, it’s been a convenient location for criminals, and in the past few years, it has had a reputation as a hotspot of criminal activity.
That reputation has given rise to numerous scams, including those that preyed on travelers with fake credit card and other fraud reports.
It has also been home to a number of high-profile busts.
In 2014, the hotel and resort was shut down by the FBI after it was discovered that two men had attempted to steal the Hilton and the Marriott property by using fraudulent credit cards.
On April 18, 2017, police were tipped off to an attempted robbery at the Westins’ Houston property, where a man was shot to death, a police report said.
The suspect was identified as a former Westin employee, and police said the investigation was continuing.
At the time, authorities said the man was killed after a confrontation with the man who took the hotel’s property, a local news outlet reported.
A second man was arrested at the Hilton on April 20 and charged with murder and robbery, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The third suspect was also arrested at a Westin property on May 5 and charged, but the investigation remains ongoing, the newspaper reported.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the Hilton said it was working with authorities and is “currently cooperating with our legal team.”
The hotel has faced several other arrests since then.
On March 10, 2017 , a woman was arrested after police say she stole more than $100,000 from the Hilton, according the Houston Press.
In April 2017, a man and woman were arrested after authorities say they tried to rob the hotel at gunpoint and used fake credit cards, the Houston Independent reported.
The hotel was closed for about two weeks after the incident, and was back open the following day, according The Houston Press .
And on March 29, 2018, a woman who was charged with burglary, theft and grand theft of property was arrested for allegedly breaking into the Hilton in an attempt to steal jewelry valued at more than a million dollars, the Independent reported .
In 2018, the West Innes was closed and reopened in November after it received $15 million from the federal government to reopen the hotel, the AP reported.
However, in the meantime, the resort has become known as a haven for crooks and fraudsters, and the resort continues to be a hot spot for law enforcement.
According to the hotel website, the location is home to “the world’s largest luxury hotel chain, a premier shopping center, and one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the world.”
While there are no direct connections between the hotel chain and the Hilton Crime Syndicate, the FBI’s website has several references to the crime syndication, including the Hilton’s website description and its logo.
For example, on the Hilton website, it says that “the Hilton Crime Syndicate is a multi-faceted organization whose focus is to promote, protect and advance the principles of integrity, fairness and the rule of law.”
The Hilton Crime syndicate is said to operate in two broad segments: the Crime Syndicate and the Crime Watch Program.
The Crime Syndicate is believed to be responsible for the largest amount of property crime in the United States.
The Crimes Syndicate’s website states that its mission is “to protect, advance and promote the principles and ideals of integrity and fairness in the business of hospitality.”
And its website also states that it “works closely with law enforcement to protect the public and protect the property of Hilton guests.”
The Crime Watch program is an umbrella group that includes a number other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, according ABC News.
According the CrimeWatch website, its mission “is to prevent, investigate and prosecute crimes that threaten our society, our country and our residents.”
And in 2018, an investigation by The Houston Chronicle found that a Houston man had been charged with bank fraud and embezzlement, and had also been charged in the murder of an associate of the Crime Syndicate.
On May 14, 2018 , a man named Thomas Jones was arrested and charged in connection with the murder and theft of the West Inn, the report said, and that he had stolen $1 million from a Hilton property, according CNN.
Authorities said Jones was part of the crime group known as the “Hilton Crime Syndicate,” and that it had an operation in Houston that was known as “The Hilton Heist,” according to The Houston News.
The Hilton Heist was one of several incidents that were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the area of Houston in 2018.
According with The Houston Times , in June 2018, authorities arrested and jailed a man in connection