Grand Falls Casino Patron Arrested on Conspiracy Charges to Claim Jackpot

A Sioux Falls man has been arrested and charged in an incident involving another patron at the Grand Falls Casino. Identified as Luis Mejia of Sioux Falls, the man has been charged by the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office and by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

Man Tries to Claim Jackpot He Is Not Eligible For – Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

Meija reportedly won a $1,500 jackpot playing at the property, but he was not going to be able to claim the prize, as he lacked a Social Security Number. However, he had come prepared, switching with another patron to do so in his stead.

While this should have worked in theory, it backfired as the other person involved attempted to claim the jackpot with the identity of another person, which immediately alerted the casino and later authorities that there had been a crime committed on the gaming floor.

That resulted in Mejia being charged with gambling-avoid forfeiture of money and a conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony, all of which are class D felonies. Should the charges hold up against him, and should he be tried and found guilty on both, he could spend up to 10 years in prison.

Choosing to claim a jackpot this way could be a crime in certain states and jurisdictions, or lead to major headaches in other places, such as Canada, where a man without a Social Security Number asked his girlfriend to claim the jackpot on his behalf.

However, the woman soon after “stole” the multi-million-dollar prize and eloped with another man. She is now being sued, although, in her defense, she claims that the ticket was a gift from her boyfriend.