LYON COUNTY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, today (Friday), said that on Thursday, November 6, 2025, a Lyon County jury found 38-year-old Shaun Joseph Benward guilty of multiple felony charges. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Special Enforcement Operations Bureau initiated an investigation in 2018, and warrants were issued for his arrest. Benward was later located in Mississippi in April 2025 and arrested for the following:

• Five counts of Money Laundering, a class C felony
• Five counts of Cheating at Gambling Games, a class D felony
• One count of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, a class D felony
• A sentencing date has not yet been set by the court.

Shaun Joseph Benward booking photo

On December 16, 2018, SEOB agents and casino staff witnessed Shaun Joseph Benward commit a series of fraudulent activities at the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa. He manipulated casino staff to secure over $10,000 in improper payouts and avoided IRS reporting requirements by breaking up over $12,000 in transactions, changing his outfit multiple times, and using different tellers to stay undetected. Benward has been arrested for similar scams throughout the country.

The SEOB is the primary criminal investigative and enforcement agency for the Iowa gaming industry.