Dajo Grandberry likely believed there was no situation worse than winning a slot machine jackpot but being unable to keep it due to a debt to the government. After having someone else attempt to collect it for him, he has since come to the conclusion that being imprisoned is far worse.
A mug shot of Dajo Grandberry, who is accused of soliciting and betting illegally, led to his arrest last week in Sioux City, Iowa. (Illustration from: siouxandproud.com)
According to court records found by local TV station KCAU-TV, Grandberry was detained last week in Sioux City for illegal gambling and soliciting. On August 7, 2022, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City is where the alleged incident happened.
At that time, at 8:40 in the morning, Grandberry was seen on camera winning the big jackpot on a slot machine, according to the police. They claim that Grandberry can be seen directing another man to the slot machine before telling him to hit the jackpot.
The documents state that when casino security approached Grandberry, he confessed to the fraud. He claimed that he owed money to the State of Iowa and didn’t want their debt to be used to garnish his winnings. Security informed the other man that it is a felony violation to claim a jackpot that you did not win.
Grandberry was able to win the jackpot, but both men were prohibited from entering the casino, and Grandberry was taken into custody and is currently being held in the Woodbury County Jail on a $10,000 bond. The date of his arraignment is set for December 14.
If the other man is wanted for a crime is unclear.
Similar Slot Stories
In May, Indiana resident Billy J. Butler was arrested for asking a woman to collect his slot jackpot at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana. His reason was so the windfall wouldn’t have to be redirected to the $48K he owes in back child support, authorities said. Earlier that day, Butler won an unspecified amount of money playing a table game, but walked away empty-handed due to the debt.
Butler was arrested and charged by Mishawaka Police with cheating at gaming, in addition to unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of cocaine. It was unclear if the woman was ever charged.
In 2020, a similar story played out when a Gary, Indiana police officer allegedly tried to get someone else to claim his slot machine jackpot because he was also behind on child support.
The Times of Northwest Indiana, a local newspaper, reported that Sgt. Charles Lucas was charged with cheating at gaming. While at East Chicago, Indiana’s Ameristar Casino, he won $1,358 at a slot machine. That amount didn’t go to Lucas. Some was deducted to pay for taxes and the rest went to $6,676 in back child support, authorities said.
Lucas disputed ever winning the money, claiming that another player hit the jackpot.
An arrest warrant in the case was “recalled” after a defense motion was filed, the Times reported. It’s unclear as to how that case was eventually resolved.
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