Mississippi ‘magician’ and apprentice charged in $10,500 casino roulette table scam
A Mississippi couple faces multiple counts of theft and fraud after scamming more than $10,000 in a 24-hour period playing roulette at a Pennsylvania casino.
Shaun Joseph Benward, 35, of Ocean Springs, and Denielle Yvonne Derohan, 42, of Gulfport, attempted their scam five times Feb. 18 and 19 at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. They were successful three of the five times, walking away with $3,500 a turn, according to documents from a Pennsylvania state trooper.
The Daily Voice reported Benward’s Instagram account listed his profession as “Artist. Magician. Creator. Illusionist.” Settings for the account have since been set to private. Benward has a long history of scamming casinos and has been banned by several state gaming control boards including Pennsylvania, Missouri and Michigan.
In 2017, he was found guilty of cheating in Delaware after being caught committing the roulette scam in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains at Mount Airy Casino and extradited to the state for crimes committed in 2014 and 2015 at the Delaware Park Casino.
“Benward has been confirmed as a cheater in multiple casinos across the country and has gaming related arrests with the New Jersey State Police and Pennsylvania State Police,” according to Delaware’s state lottery office.
State Trooper David Endlich reviewed surveillance footage and obtained statements from dealers and table games managers that detailed the crimes at the Rivers Casino. According to Endlich’s complaint, Benward would join a roulette table where Derohan was already gaming and distract the dealer while the wheel was spinning by either engaging in conversation or asking where his chips went. Derohan would signal Benward when the ball landed on a number in the still-spinning wheel and Benward would place his bet before the dealer saw that the ball had landed.
“It is clear that every illegitimate win and attempt conducted by Benward is accompanied by Derohan,” Endlich said. Derohan is charged with one count of theft by deception and one count of criminal conspiracy. Both are third degree felonies. Derohan also faces five misdemeanor counts of committing a fraudulent scheme.
Benward was charged with theft by deception, criminal conspiracy engaging theft by deception and five counts of fraudulent schemes. He also faces four counts of driving while operating privilege is suspended. Convictions of the third degree felonies include up to seven years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines. Each misdemeanor count is worth up to five years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 2:47 PM.
