Gambler Who Dropped Loaded Gun at Ameristar Craps Table Sentenced to Eight Years

A drug-impaired gambler who accidentally dropped a loaded handgun onto the floor of a Missouri casino and then pointed it at employees has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison.

David J. Lidge was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 7 for unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon over the April 2024 incident at Ameristar Casino Kansas City.

Lidge, who admitted taking PCP before visiting the casino, later went on the run after failing to appear in court. He was eventually tracked down by an FBI task force in Arizona.

Gun Falls From Pants

The incident unfolded on April 14, 2024, while Lidge was playing craps at the casino in Clay County, Mo.

According to court documents cited by local news outlet KCTV5, a loaded 9mm handgun slipped out of his right pant leg and dropped onto the casino floor.

Lidge picked up the weapon and began waving it around and pointing it toward casino employees and other gamblers. Witnesses said he had his finger on the trigger.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers and casino security officers confronted Lidge near the casino’s King Side Circle Bar. He initially resisted but was eventually disarmed and arrested.

While nobody was injured, the gun had a round in the chamber and another eight in the magazine, according to prosecutors.

Lidge displayed erratic behavior following his arrest and told investigators he had consumed PCP before arriving at Ameristar. Although officers found no illegal drugs in his possession, his wife reportedly told them he regularly used the substance.

He also had a previous felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance, which prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.

Fugitive Capture

Lidge reached a plea agreement with Clay County prosecutors in September 2025, with sentencing scheduled for December that year.

But a warrant was issued for his arrest in October after he failed to comply with a court order. When he also missed his December sentencing hearing, another warrant followed.

By early 2026, Lidge had been placed on Clay County’s Top 10 Most Wanted list.

His time on the lam ended June 24, 2026, when members of the FBI’s Arizona-based PX Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force, working with the FBI’s Kansas City office, arrested him in Arizona.

Lidge was initially held without bond in Maricopa County before waiving extradition to Missouri.

Wednesday’s sentence comes almost two and a half years after the incident at the Ameristar craps table.