Missouri man charged with armed robbery of woman who won $3,200 at DraftKings at Casino Queen

Ronnell L. Williams, 36, of St. Louis, Missouri, has been charged over an alleged armed robbery of a woman who had won more than $3,200 on slot machines at DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged him with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action, and an arrest warrant was issued on October 10.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the incident took place on Tuesday, October 6, at the intersection of North 10th and Madison streets in the Near North Riverfront neighborhood. The victim has not been named. Investigators say casino surveillance footage allegedly shows Williams watching the woman play and win, following her around the venue, and leaving in a maroon vehicle shortly after she did.

Police say the woman was driving home across the Eads Bridge into St. Louis when Williams pulled alongside and signalled her to lower her window, claiming her car's muffler was dragging. She kept driving, but he allegedly followed and swerved into her lane, forcing her off the road. When she stopped and confronted him, he allegedly drew a gun and demanded her casino winnings. She later described the vehicle to authorities and identified Williams in the surveillance footage.

The case echoes an earlier incident linked to the same property. In 2009, two men followed blackjack player Mark Myers from Casino Queen across the state line into Missouri after he won several thousand dollars, then assaulted and robbed him outside his home. Myers sued the casino, alleging it failed to protect him. In a 2012 ruling, a federal appeals court noted that Casino Queen had previously known of three other follow-home robberies.

That decision also described security measures available for large winners, including private cash counts, security escorts and vehicles that could follow patrons as they left. The case was sent back to Missouri state court in 2013, and its outcome is unclear, with the possibility of an out-of-court settlement.

The venue has also been linked to other serious violence. Last year, a judge sentenced a man to 49 years for a fatal shooting at Casino Queen in Illinois that occurred in 2017.