Rock Rapids, Iowa (RI) — A Lyon County jury has found a man guilty of multiple felony charges in a northwest Iowa casino scam.
The Iowa DCI started investigating 38-year-old Shaun Joseph Benward in 2018. He was found in April of this year in Mississippi and was arrested on five felony counts each for money laundering and cheating at gambling, and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.
Officers and casino staff say they watched Benward manipulate staff at the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood into more than ten thousand dollars in improper payments. They say he avoided IRS reporting requirements by changing his clothes multiple times, using multiple tellers, and the assistance of an accomplice. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Authorities say Benward has been arrested for similar scams across the country.
