Choctaw Casino Robbers Who Chased Hyped-Up Jackpot End Up in Slammer

When a criminal group got the wrong end of the stick and thought the win was far larger than it actually was, a small windfall for a man from North Texas at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma, turned into a violent heist.

Prosecutors in Grayson County, Texas, have now sentenced all four of the group members to five to ten years in jail for their roles in the plan.

According to court documents, the victim, who opted to remain anonymous during the court proceedings, took his winnings and departed the casino on February 6 of this year.

Due to its size and accessibility, gamers from North Texas frequently visit the Durant casino, which is located roughly 30 miles north of the Texas border.

The Telephone Game

Meanwhile, the alleged amount skyrocketed as word of the victim's success spread.  According to the prosecution, Paige Sancho and her husband, Stephan Sancho, devised a plan for a heist after learning about it.

"They got information that he had just won money at the Choctaw Casino, and so, I believe, they thought it was more than it actually turned out to be,” Bi Hunt, Assistant District Attorney for Grayson County, said in a statement. “So, they came up with this scheme to get that money from him.”

The victim was "lured" to Paige Sancho's Southmayd, Texas, house.  Then she told him she would be right back, pretending she had to leave for a little while.  Stephan Sancho and co-defendant Dillon Winchester entered the house and robbed the victim at gunpoint as a result of this signal.

Escapes of Victims

The man was robbed, but he escaped and called 911. The three of them were promptly taken into custody and charged with robbery and aggravated robbery.  Prosecutors also charged Shawn Gravette, another man who assisted the others in leaving the scene, with engaging in organized crime.

Prosecutors said the convictions occurred in stages, with the first two occurring in August, the second in July, and the first in June.

On allegations of aggravated robbery and involvement in organized crime, Stephan Sancho received a 10-year jail sentence.  For robbery, Paige Sancho received an eight-year sentence.  Winchester was given a five-year term for violent robbery, and Gravette was given eight years for organized crime.