Posted on: November 10, 2025, 08:04h.
Last updated on: November 10, 2025, 08:04h.
- Magician exploited misdirection to defraud casinos across the United States.
- Claimed dealer mistakes to obtain unauthorized roulette payments.
- Evaded law enforcement for years, leading to conviction and prohibition in Iowa.
A magician from Mississippi, known for his clever misdirection techniques, has been found guilty of defrauding the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa.
Shaun Joseph Benward, performing under the alias “Shaun Mistery,” is reportedly accused of executing a “series of fraudulent activities” at the roulette tables during 2018.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s (DCI) Special Enforcement Operations Bureau conducted an investigation that resulted in Benward being charged, in absentia, with five counts of money laundering, five counts of cheating in gambling games, and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.
According to a DCI statement, “He deceived casino personnel to obtain more than $10,000 in unauthorized payouts and circumvented IRS reporting obligations by splitting over $12,000 in transactions, altering his appearance multiple times, and utilizing different tellers to avoid detection.”
Master of Distraction
Reports from law enforcement suggest that Benward often forms a rapport with roulette dealers, engaging them in friendly dialogue to create just enough distraction when bets are closing.
After the ball lands, he falsely claims his chips were mistakenly placed on the incorrect number, insisting on receiving payments for the supposedly winning bet.
He frequently collaborates with an accomplice nearby, ready to validate his claims and pressure the dealer into conceding to his demands.
This approach varies from the traditional “past-posting” tactic, where a player alters their bet post-outcome. Instead, Benward’s technique revolves around social manipulation, labeled as a “false correction” scam.
Escaping Justice
The elusive illusionist managed to dodge Iowa authorities for seven years before finally being apprehended in Mississippi last April, as per information from the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
During this period, he resurfaced in Pittsburgh, where he and an associate were caught attempting to swindle the Rivers Casino of over $10,000.
In that incident, Benward pleaded guilty to casino cheating in an Allegheny County, Pennsylvania courtroom in 2022, resulting in probation and a restitution order of $10,500.
However, he later breached his probation, and as of late 2025, an active bench warrant exists for him, according to court documents viewed by Casino.org.
In addition to Pennsylvania, Benward has faced convictions in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Rhode Island, and Nevada for various cheating and fraudulent activities over the past decade.
In September 2023, his name was officially entered into Nevada’s notorious “black book,” a register of individuals barred from all casinos in the state.