A 36-year-old man is facing felony charges after court documents say he watched a woman win $3,203 on slot machines at Casino Queen, then followed her car across the Mississippi River and attempted to rob her at gunpoint once she crossed into Missouri. Ronell L. Williams is being held without bond on charges of first-degree robbery and armed criminal action, according to court documents.
The woman won $3,203 on slot machines on October 6 at Casino Queen, as first reported by KMOV. Court documents cited by the station say Williams appears on casino surveillance video following the woman around the gaming floor and watching her play and win before getting into a maroon car and trailing her off the property. The woman later identified Williams from that same surveillance footage and gave police a description of the car, per court documents.
From the casino, the woman drove toward home, crossing the Eads Bridge and heading onto Lumiere Place, according to court documents referenced by the outlet. The historic span, a National Historic Landmark completed in 1874, connects East St. Louis, Illinois, and downtown St. Louis, Missouri, across the river.
Forced Off the Road Near Lumiere Place
Court documents state that Williams followed the woman in the maroon car and, at one point, told her that her vehicle's muffler was hanging off. He then forced her off the road by veering into her lane, pulled out a gun, and demanded she hand over her money, according to the same documents cited by KMOV.
Casino Queen, officially branded DraftKings at Casino Queen, is in East St. Louis and near East Riverfront station, according to Wikipedia.
Follow-Home Robberies in Casino Security Research
Security industry research published in 2026 describes follow-home robbery as a faster-growing pattern in casino crime, in which perpetrators monitor a significant cash-game win and then follow the patron to a parking structure or adjacent street, according to IntelliSee. The research also discusses surveillance systems designed around fraud, cheating and internal theft. The Missouri Gaming Division recorded 656 total arrests at state-regulated casinos in 2025, with 320 of those involving felony-level offenses, per the same report.
Patrons carrying large winnings do have options. Security personnel at DraftKings at Casino Queen escort gaming chips, tokens and cash, according to a job posting reviewed by Sorce Jobs. A federal appeals court case, Myers v. Casino Queen, Inc., established in 2012 that Missouri courts hold personal jurisdiction over Casino Queen in tort claims arising from interstate follow-home robberies targeting patrons who crossed the river from Illinois into Missouri, according to Justia Law. That earlier case also stemmed from a patron being followed home from the venue into Missouri and attacked.
Charges Under Missouri Law
Williams is charged with first-degree robbery.
The armed criminal action charge is also pending.
Part of a Broader Pattern Along the Corridor
The Eads Bridge corridor connecting East St. Louis and downtown St. Louis has seen other violent crime cross its lanes this year. In September, three Metro East men admitted in federal court to a downtown St. Louis carjacking on January 27, 2024, that crossed the bridge into Illinois and ended with gunfire aimed at an Illinois State Police trooper, Hoodline previously reported. In that case, the suspects stole a car in Missouri before fleeing back into Illinois across the same span.
Police have not indicated whether Williams faces additional charges beyond first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. He remains held without bond as the case moves forward in the Missouri court system.
