Slot Machine Theft

Former Peoria Police Lt. Marshall Dunnigan is in trouble these days, and not just for the fact that he stole winnings from another player’s slot machine. He is also in trouble because that other player was not only a friend of his, but was also a retired Peoria policeman named Roger Lowery. Supposedly Lowery and Dunnigan were playing on the Par-a-Dice riverboat casino and were aware of each others slot machines that they were playing.

Witnesses say that the two men had been chatting each other up, and watching each other’s machines for them. However, Lowery walked away to check another one of his slot machines just as the machine spit out a winning ticket for somewhere around $700. Dunnigan took the ticket from the slot machine and went to one of the cash in machines to get the money.

When Lowery returned, he saw that the slot machine had hit, but did not suspect Dunnigan. He called over security who was going to look into it, and when they checked the tapes days later - sure enough, there was Dunnigan taking the ticket. The security team called Dunnigan back in who offered to pay the $700 but did not admit to taking the ticket.

Dunnigan has now been fired from the Peoria police force, and will undoubtedly be looking at criminal charges. Dunnigan is now claiming that this has something to do with allegations of discrimination that he is fighting with the Illinois Department of Human Rights. He claims that this is all because he is fighting for the right to be captain, as he is black and was passed over for the position for someone who is white. He says that he is not guilty of the crime he is accused of, and that it is all because of the racial case.


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