A Fort Dodge woman is appealing a ruling where she was found guilty by a jury in Greene County District Court.

According to court documents, 59-year-old Shelly Esquer was found guilty by a jury on December 11th of two Class D Felonies, including passing a winning wager to another person and second degree fraudulent practices. Court documents show that on February 5th, District Court Judge Joseph McCarville sentenced Esquer to two five year prison sentences for the felonies, to be served concurrently for a maximum of five years.

The charges stemmed from an incident on December 30, 2022 when Esquer asked another individual, John Cook of Fort Dodge, to switch places with her and claim a jackpot from her slot machine of $3,898 at Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson. Cook filled out an IRS W-9 form, which certified the winnings under penalty of perjury. Casino video surveillance showed that Esquer had won the jackpot and when her information was run through the Iowa Department of Administrative Services Offset Program, she owed the state of Iowa $6,961.

Cook pled guilty to a Class D Felony for second degree fraudulent practices and was sentenced to two years of probation with the Iowa Department of Correctional Services on July 14, 2023. Court documents show that Esquer is appealing the ruling and is required to pay the $5,000 cash only appeal bond. Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.