Louisiana State Police say an Alexandria woman used falsified Social Security numbers to collect 16 casino jackpots totaling more than $41,000 in an effort to prevent the winnings from being intercepted for overdue child support.
Shamika Brown, 43, was arrested September 21 after a Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement investigator recognized her at L’Auberge Casino Baton Rouge. Investigators said Brown had returned to retrieve a $1,264 jackpot she first tried to collect in October 2024.
The investigation began after L’Auberge notified the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division about suspected fraudulent activity on October 15, 2024. Detectives reviewing Brown’s casino activity traced the alleged use of false identifying information back several years.
State police obtained an arrest warrant through the 19th Judicial District Court. Brown was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on 18 counts involving bank fraud and identity theft. LSP said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming.
Sixteen Jackpots Went Back to 2020
State police said detectives determined that Brown collected 16 jackpots at L’Auberge Casino Baton Rouge in 2020 using falsified Social Security numbers. Those winnings totaled more than $41,000.
Investigators said the false numbers were used in an attempt to circumvent an overdue child-support obligation with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
The alleged activity continued beyond 2020. State police said Brown collected another jackpot of nearly $2,500 at a different Baton Rouge casino in 2023 using false identifying information.
A $1,264 Jackpot Triggered the Investigation
In October 2024, Brown returned to L’Auberge and attempted to collect a $1,264 jackpot. State police said she again provided false Social Security numbers during the payout process.
L’Auberge notified the Gaming Enforcement Division on October 15, and detectives with the Baton Rouge Field Office opened an investigation. Their review connected the 2024 incident with the earlier jackpots investigators attributed to Brown.
The $1,264 jackpot was not paid then. State police later said Brown returned to L’Auberge in September 2026 seeking the same jackpot.
She Returned for the Same Jackpot Nearly Two Years Later
Brown returned to L’Auberge on September 21, 2026. According to state police, a Gaming Enforcement investigator recognized her inside the casino as she attempted to retrieve the same $1,264 jackpot involved in the 2024 investigation.
The investigator arrested Brown on the outstanding warrant. She was subsequently booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on 18 counts involving bank fraud and identity theft.
Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Louisiana Can Intercept Certain Casino Winnings for Child Support
The child-support allegation is directly connected to the way qualifying casino jackpots are paid in Louisiana. Under Louisiana Revised Statute 27:24, gaming operators must have procedures for withholding certain cash gaming winnings from people who owe child-support arrearages or child-support overpayments.
The law applies to gaming payments for which the casino or other covered gaming operator is required to file Form W-2G, or a substantially equivalent form, with the Internal Revenue Service. When the operator identifies a winner who owes qualifying child-support debt, the statute directs it to deduct the amount owed and forward that money to the Department of Children and Family Services before paying any remainder to the winner.
Identifying information is part of the payout process. Current IRS instructions for Form W-2G require a taxpayer identification number for reportable gambling winnings. For an individual, that is generally a Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number.