Former Texas Lottery Executive Director Gary Grief appeared in Travis County court Friday morning on a first-degree felony charge of abuse of official capacity tied to the controversial April 2023 Lotto Texas drawing that handed a $95 million jackpot to a professional gambling syndicate.
Grief appeared with his attorney before District Judge Dayna Blazey in the 167th District Court. He waived formal magistration. A hearing on his personal recognizance bond is set for October 16.
Shortly after the appearance, Travis County District Attorney José Garza formally announced that a grand jury had indicted both Grief and the now-defunct Texas Lottery Commission. The indictments were handed down April 21.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from the April 22, 2023, Lotto Texas drawing. They allege the commission and high-level management, acting under Grief’s authorization, intentionally and knowingly misused government resources. The indictment names former officials Ed Rogers and Clay Kidd alongside Grief. The alleged misuse involved more than $300,000, elevating the charge to a first-degree felony.
“Our office will hold accountable powerful actors who violate our state laws,” Garza said. “We thank the grand jury members who heard the evidence and the law and decided that their conduct was unlawful.”
The case is being handled by the DA’s Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division, which received the referral from the Texas Department of Public Safety in February.
Background on the scandal
In the April 22, 2023, drawing, an entity known as Rook TX purchased nearly every possible six-number combination, more than 25 million tickets, at a cost of roughly $26 million. The group, linked to international professional gamblers including Zeljko Ranogajec and Bernard Marantelli, claimed the sole $95 million jackpot and took a lump-sum payout of approximately $57.8 million.
Investigative reporting revealed that the Texas Lottery Commission facilitated the operation by rapidly supplying extra lottery terminals and ticket paper to a handful of retailers, some of which had previously sold very few tickets. Critics argued the agency helped professional bettors effectively guarantee a win at the expense of ordinary Texas players.
The episode triggered intense legislative scrutiny. Lawmakers ultimately abolished the Texas Lottery Commission and transferred oversight of lottery operations to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Grief retired in 2024 after more than three decades with the agency.
Grief’s attorney has previously maintained that no crime occurred and that the former director’s leadership generated substantial revenue for Texas schools and veterans.
The criminal case now moves forward more than three years after the drawing that exposed deep questions about the integrity of Texas’ lottery system and the accountability of those who ran it.